As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2015
Securities Act File No. 033-25378
Investment Company Act File No. 811-05684
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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[X]
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Pre-Effective Amendment No. ___
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Post-Effective Amendment No. 55
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[X]
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and
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REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
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[X]
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Amendment No. 55
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[X]
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ALPINE EQUITY TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215
Purchase, New York 10577
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
1-888-785-5578
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Samuel A. Lieber
Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC
2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215
Purchase, New York 10577
(Name and address of Agent for Service)
Copy to:
Rose F. DiMartino, Esq.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: Continuous
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
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immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
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on _____________ pursuant to paragraph (b) |
[X] |
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
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on _____________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
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75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
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on _____________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
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this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
This filing relates solely to the Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PROSPECTUS
Subject to Completion,
October 28, 2015
Alpine Equity Trust
Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund
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Institutional Class
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ARIGX
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Class A
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Alpine Funds
c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
PO Box 8061
Boston, MA 02266
1-888-785-5578
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents
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Summary Section
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3
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Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund
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3
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More on the Fund’s Investment Strategies, Investments and Risks
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9
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Portfolio Holdings Information
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20
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Management of the Fund
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20
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Investment Adviser
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20
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Legal Proceedings
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21
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Portfolio Managers
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22
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How the Fund Values Its Shares
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22
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Fair Value Pricing
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22
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How to Buy Shares
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23
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Exchange Privilege
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26
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How to Redeem Shares
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27
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Redemption Fee
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28
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Additional Redemption Information
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29
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Short-Term Trading Practices
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30
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Shareholder Services
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31
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Automatic Investment Plan
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31
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Telephone Investment Plan
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31
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Systematic Cash Withdrawal Plan
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31
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Investments through Employee Benefit and Savings Plans
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31
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Tax Sheltered Retirement Plans
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31
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Householding
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32
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Internet Account Access and Trading
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32
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Distribution of Fund Shares
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32
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Distributor
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32
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Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan
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32
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Sales Charge
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32
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Right of Accumulation
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34
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Letter of Intent
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34
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Additional Information
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34
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Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
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35
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Dividend Policy
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35
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Taxation of the Fund
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36
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Taxation of Shareholders
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36
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Financial Highlights
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37
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Notice of Privacy Policy
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38
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Additional Information
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39
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To Obtain More Information About the Fund
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40
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Summary Section
Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund
Investment Objectives
Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund (the “Global Realty Fund”) seeks total return through growth of capital and current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in the Fund’s Class A shares. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, in the section “Distribution of Fund Shares” on page 32 of the Fund’s Prospectus and in the section “Shareholder Accounts” on page 50 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
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Class A
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Institutional
Class
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Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
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5.50%
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None
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Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
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None(1)
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None
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Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed within less than 60 days of purchase)
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1.00%
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1.00%
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fees
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1.00%
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1.00%
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Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
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0.25%
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None
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Other Expenses(2)
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1.48%
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1.48%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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2.73%
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2.48%
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Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(3)
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1.13%
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1.13%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(3)
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1.60%
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1.35%
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(1)
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A contingent deferred sales change of 1.00% will be applied if shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchasing Class A shares as part of an investment greater than $1,000,000 if no front-end sales charge was paid at the time of purchase and a concession was paid to the financial intermediary or dealer.
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(2)
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“Other Expenses” have been estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may be different.
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(3) |
The Adviser has agreed contractually to waive and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund so that total annual fund operating expenses (including 12b-1 fees, but excluding interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed annually 1.60% of the average net assets of the Class A shares and 1.35% of the average net assets of the Institutional Class shares. This arrangement cannot be terminated prior to March 1, 2017 without the Board of Trustees’ consent. The Adviser may recapture amounts waived and/or reimbursed to a class if such recapture occurs within three years of the waiver and/or reimbursement and does not cause the total annual fund operating expenses of the Fund for any year to exceed the limits described above. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes:
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You invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods
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Your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same
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You reinvest all distributions and dividends without a sales charge (if sales charges were included your costs would be higher)
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Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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1 Year
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3 Years
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Class A
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$704
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$1,142
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Institutional Class
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$137
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$550
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it does not have a turnover rate to report for the most recent fiscal year.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the publicly traded equity securities of issuers which are engaged in the real estate industry. The Fund defines the real estate industry broadly to include the investment, management, development, construction, financing and/or brokerage of real estate. The Fund considers an issuer to be in the real estate industry if it derives at least 50% of its revenues or net income from these real estate activities or if real estate assets represent at least 50% of its asset value. The Fund may also invest in issuers in other industries such as, for example, lodging, entertainment, retail, timber and mining which own or control significant real estate holdings. The Fund’s holdings will primarily be, but not be limited to, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and similar REIT-like entities, real estate operating companies (REOCs), real estate funds and homebuilders. The Fund may invest in the common stocks of such issuers, as well as preferred stocks, convertible securities, equity-linked securities, rights and warrants.
A REIT in the U.S. is generally not taxed on income distributed to shareholders as long as it meets certain tax-related requirements, including the requirement that it distribute substantially all of its taxable income to such shareholders. Foreign REITs and REIT-like entities are organized outside of the U.S. and have operations and generally receive tax treatment in their respective countries similar to that of U.S. REITs. REOCs are real estate companies that have not elected to be taxed as REITs and therefore are not required to distribute taxable income and have fewer operating and investing restrictions.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of issuers located outside of the United States, including in emerging markets, and will allocate its assets among issuers located in no less than three different countries, one of which may be the United States. In addition, under normal market conditions, the Fund will maintain no less than 20% exposure to securities of U.S. issuers.
When constructing the portfolio, the Adviser utilizes a fundamentals-driven investment process which incorporates both top-down and bottom-up analysis. The Adviser takes into account short-term considerations, such as situations where the Adviser believes particular securities may be temporarily mispriced, but is more focused on longer-term considerations such as the growth in earnings and cash flows through real estate value creation. The Fund’s country exposures reflect the Adviser’s assessment of (1) a variety of national and regional macro-economic factors, (2) real estate market fundamentals and (3) the relative investment merits of the individual real estate securities in the particular countries.
In its analysis of real estate companies, the Adviser conducts fundamental stock research and seeks companies with above average growth profiles, quality management teams and property portfolios, strong balance sheets and stock valuations that it believes are attractive relative to peers.
The Fund will limit its investments in countries that are considered to be emerging markets to no more than 25% of its net assets at the time of investment. An “emerging market” country is any country that is considered to be an emerging or developing country by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”). The Fund’s investment in foreign securities may include investments in depositary receipts (such as American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”)) that represent indirect interests in securities of foreign issuers.
The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization, however, real estate-related issuers tend to have smaller asset bases relative to other market sectors. As a result, the Fund may have significant exposure to small-to-medium market capitalization issuers. The Fund may also invest in debt securities of U.S. and foreign issuers which the Adviser believes offer attractive income streams, giving consideration to the creditworthiness of the issuer, maturity date and other factors, including industry sector and prevailing economic and market conditions. These securities may pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest, and may include zero coupon obligations. The Fund may invest in both investment grade and non-investment grade debt securities, with up to 15% of its net assets in non-investment grade debt securities. In selecting investments, an important focus of the Adviser is to identify investment opportunities where it believes dividends or interest payments are well supported by the underlying assets and earnings of an issuer.
The Fund is “non-diversified.” This means that, as compared to mutual funds which are diversified, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer. As a result, the Fund may hold larger positions in a relatively small number of stocks as compared to many other mutual funds. The Fund concentrates its investments in the securities of companies engaged in the real estate industry and may invest all of its assets in such securities; however, the Fund may temporarily invest less than 25% of its net assets in such securities during periods of adverse economic conditions in the real estate industry.
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of initial public offerings (“IPOs”) (subject to the Adviser’s discretionary policy based on percentage of beneficial ownership of the Fund by the Adviser or principals of the Adviser) and secondary offerings.
When constructing the Fund’s portfolio, the portfolio managers will consider the Fund’s benchmark, the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Net Total Return Index as a reference. The benchmark is a global real estate securities index which as of July 31, 2015 was comprised of 481 constituents from 39 counties with an aggregate equity market capitalization of $1,432,182 million. The Fund is not an index fund and does not attempt to replicate the holdings of the benchmark. The Fund’s holdings and exposures may differ substantially from the benchmark.
The Fund’s 80% investment policy may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.
Principal Investment Risks
Risk is inherent in all investing. There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objectives. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund may take temporary defensive positions; in such a case, the Fund will not be pursuing its principal investment strategies. The following is a summary description of certain risks of investing in the Fund.
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Concentration Risk — The Fund’s strategy of concentrating in companies in a specific industry means that its performance will be closely tied to the performance of a particular market segment. The Fund’s concentration in these companies may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the Fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole. |
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Credit Risk — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation. |
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Dividend Strategy Risk — The Fund’s strategy of investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out favor with investors and underperform the market. Companies that issue dividend paying-stocks are not required to continue to pay dividends on such stocks. Therefore, there is the possibility that such companies could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future. |
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Emerging Market Securities Risk — The risks of foreign investments are heightened when investing in issuers in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have economic, political and legal systems that are less fully developed and are less stable than those of more developed countries. They are often particularly sensitive to market movements because their market prices tend to reflect speculative expectations. Low trading volumes may result in a lack of liquidity and in extreme price volatility.
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Equity Securities Risk — The stock or other security of a company may not perform as well as expected, and may decrease in value, because of factors related to the company (such as poorer than expected earnings or certain management decisions) or to the industry in which the company is engaged (such as a reduction in the demand for products or services in a particular industry). |
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Fixed Income Securities Risk — Fixed income securities are subject to issuer risk, interest rate risk and market risk. |
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Foreign Currency Transactions Risk — Foreign securities are often denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the Fund’s shares is affected by changes in exchange rates. The Fund may enter into foreign currency transactions to try to manage this risk. The Fund’s ability to use foreign currency transactions successfully depends on a number of factors, including the foreign currency transactions being available at prices that are not too costly, the availability of liquid markets and the ability of the Adviser to accurately predict the direction of changes in currency exchange rates. |
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Foreign Securities Risk — The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers or issuers with significant exposure to foreign markets involve additional risk. Foreign countries in which the Fund may invest may have markets that are less liquid, less regulated and more volatile than U.S. markets. The value of the Fund’s investments may decline because of factors affecting the particular issuer as well as foreign markets and issuers generally, such as unfavorable government actions, and political or financial instability. Lack of information may also affect the value of these securities. The risks of foreign investment are heightened when investing in issuers of emerging market countries. |
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Growth Stock Risk — Growth stocks typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices tend to reflect future expectations. When it appears those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth stocks typically fall. Growth stocks as a group may be out of favor and underperform the overall equity market while the market concentrates on undervalued stocks. |
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Initial Public Offerings and Secondary Offerings Risk — The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of IPOs or secondary offerings of an issuer. IPOs and secondary offerings may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs and secondary offerings on the Fund’s performance likely will decrease as the Fund’s asset size increases, which could reduce the Fund’s returns. IPOs and secondary offerings may not be consistently available to the Fund for investing. IPO and secondary offering shares frequently are volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, the Fund may hold IPO and secondary offering shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, IPO and secondary offering shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price. |
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Interest Rate Risk — Interest rates may rise resulting in a decrease in the value of securities held by the Fund, or may fall resulting in an increase in the value of such securities. Securities having longer maturities generally involve a greater risk of fluctuations in the value resulting from changes in interest rates. |
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Leverage Risk — The Fund may use leverage to purchase securities. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. |
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Management Risk — The Adviser’s judgment about the quality, relative yield or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security or sector, or about interest rates generally, may be incorrect. The Adviser’s security selections and other investment decisions might produce losses or cause the Fund to underperform when compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. |
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Market Risk — The price of a security held by the Fund may fall due to changing market, economic or political conditions. |
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Non-Diversified Fund Risk — Performance of a non-diversified fund may be more volatile than a diversified fund because a non-diversified fund may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer. |
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Preferred Stock Risk — Preferred stock represents an interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of common stock, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock has investment characteristics of both fixed income and equity securities. However, the value of these securities tends to vary more with fluctuations in the underlying common stock and less with fluctuations in interest rates and tends to exhibit greater volatility.
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Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Risk — REITs’ share prices may decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry including changes in interest rates. The returns from REITs may trail returns from the overall market. Additionally, there is always a risk that a given REIT will fail to qualify for favorable tax treatment. |
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Real Estate Securities Risk — Risks associated with investment in securities of companies in the real estate industry include: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; casualty or condemnation losses; variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of properties to tenants; changes in interest rates and changes in general economic and market conditions. |
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Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk — Securities of small or medium capitalization companies are more likely to experience sharper swings in market values, less liquid markets, in which it may be more difficult for the Adviser to sell at times and at prices that the Adviser believes appropriate and generally are more volatile than those of larger companies. |
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Undervalued Stock Risk — The Fund may pursue strategies that may include investing in securities, which, in the opinion of the Adviser, are undervalued. The identification of investment opportunities in undervalued securities is a difficult task and there is no assurance that such opportunities will be successfully recognized or acquired. While investments in undervalued securities offer opportunities for above-average capital appreciation, these investments involve a high degree of financial risk and can result in substantial losses. |
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Valuation Risk — The sales price the Fund could receive for any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Fund had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third party service providers. |
Performance
The Fund has not commenced operations. Once the Fund has a performance record of at least one calendar year, a bar chart and performance table will be included in this Prospectus.
Management
Investment Adviser
Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the Fund’s investment adviser.
Portfolio Manager
Mr. Bruce Ebnother, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, and Mr. Joel Wells, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, are the co-portfolio managers primarily responsible for the investment decisions of the Fund and have managed the Fund since its inception.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Class A
The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
You may purchase or redeem Fund shares on any day the NYSE is open by contacting your financial intermediary. The minimum initial amount of investment in the Fund is $2,500. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.
Institutional Class
You may purchase, redeem or exchange Fund shares on any business day by written request via mail (Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., PO Box 8061, Boston, MA 02266), by wire transfer, by telephone at 1-888-785-5578, or through a financial intermediary. The minimum initial amount of investment in the Fund is $1,000,000. There is no minimum for subsequent investments if payment is mailed by check, otherwise the minimum is $100.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial professional to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial professional or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
More on the Fund’s Investment Strategies, Investments and Risks
This section provides additional information regarding the securities in which the Fund invests, the investment techniques the Fund uses and the risks associated with the Fund’s investment program. A further discussion of the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions, and additional information about the Fund’s investments, is contained in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
Other Investments and Strategies
Borrowing and Short Sales — The Fund may borrow up to 10% of its total assets for investment purposes. Loans in the aggregate, to cover overdrafts and for investment purposes, may not exceed the maximum amount that the borrower is permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”). The Fund may also enter into short sales of securities. A short sale is a transaction in which the fund sells securities it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market price of the securities. The Fund may not sell a security short if, as a result of that sale, the current value of securities sold short by the Fund would exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets. However, short sales affected “against the box” to hedge against a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund are not subject to this 10% limitation.
Equity-Linked Securities — The Fund may invest in equity-linked securities, including, but not limited to, participation notes, certificates of participation, and equity swaps. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or “basket” of stocks, or a single stock.
Fixed Income Securities — The Fund may invest in bonds and other types of debt obligations of U.S. and foreign issuers. These securities may pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest, and may include zero coupon obligations which do not pay interest until maturity. The Fund may invest in both investment grade and non-investment grade debt securities. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in non-investment grade debt securities.
Global Investment Strategies — If market conditions are not deemeed favorable by the Adviser, the Fund will invest at least 30% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of issuers located outside of the United States, including in emerging markets and will allocate its assets among issuers in no less than three different countries. The Fund considers an issuer to be located in a country if it meets any of the following criteria: (i) the issuer is organized under the laws of the country or maintains its principal place of business in that country; (ii) the issuer’s securities are traded principally in the country; or (iii) during the issuer’s most recent fiscal year, such issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the country or has at least 50% of its assets in that country.
Illiquid Securities – The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. However, the Fund may not invest more than 10% of its net assets in such repurchase agreements.
Initial Public Offerings and Secondary Offerings — The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of initial public offerings (“IPOs”) (subject to the Adviser’s discretionary policy described below) and secondary offerings. An initial public offering is a corporation’s first offering of common stock to the public. Secondary offerings are the issuance of new stock for public sale from a company that has already made its IPO.
It is the Adviser’s discretionary policy not to invest the Fund’s assets in IPOs, if, in aggregate, 25% or greater of the Fund’s shares are beneficially owned by the Adviser or the principals of the Adviser. The Adviser will not change this policy without obtaining the consent of the Trust’s Board. So, from time to time, the Fund may or may not be restricted from investing in IPOs. As of the date of this Prospectus, this policy does not permit the Fund to invest in IPOs. The Adviser’s discretionary policy is described in greater detail in the SAI.
Other Investment Companies — The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, which may include open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts, subject to the limits set forth in the 1940 Act that apply to those types of investments.
Securities Lending — The Fund may not lend its portfolio securities, unless the borrower is a broker-dealer or financial institution that pledges and maintains collateral with the Fund consisting of cash or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government having a value at all times not less than 100% of the current market-value of the loaned securities, including accrued interest, provided that the aggregate amount of such loans shall not exceed 30% of the Fund’s net assets.
Temporary Defensive Positions — The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. During such times, the Fund may temporarily invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, including money market instruments, prime commercial paper, repurchase agreements, Treasury bills and other short-term obligations of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. In these and in other cases, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Other Investments — The Fund may use a variety of other investment instruments in pursuing its investment program. The investments of the Fund may include: mortgage-backed securities and various derivative instruments, including, but not limited to, options on securities, stock index options, options on foreign currencies, forward foreign currency contracts, futures contracts and swaps.
Investment Risks
Concentration Risk — The Fund’s strategy of concentrating in companies in a specific industry means that its performance will be closely tied to the performance of a particular market segment. The Fund’s concentration in these companies may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. A downturn in these companies would have a larger impact on the Fund than on a mutual fund that does not concentrate in such companies. At times, the performance of these companies will lag the performance of other industries or the broader market as a whole.
Convertible Securities Risk — The Fund can invest in securities that can be exercised for or converted into common stocks (such as warrants or convertible preferred stock). While offering greater potential for long-term growth, common stocks and similar equity securities are more volatile and more risky than some other forms of investment. Therefore, the value of your investment in the Fund may sometimes decrease instead of increase. Convertible securities include other securities, such as warrants, that provide an opportunity for equity participation. Because convertible securities can be converted into equity securities, their values will normally increase or decrease as the values of the underlying equity securities increase or decrease. The movements in the prices of convertible securities, however, may be smaller than the movements in the value of the underlying equity securities.
Credit Risk — Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of the Fund’s investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.
Currency Risk — The value of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increases or decreases as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile, and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the U.S. and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls and speculation.
Cybersecurity Risk — Information and technology systems relied upon by the Fund, the Adviser, the Fund’s service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents, administrators, distributors and other financial intermediaries) and/or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches, usage errors by their respective professionals, power outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Although the Adviser has implemented measures to manage risks relating to these types of events, if these systems are compromised, become inoperable for extended periods of time or cease to function properly, significant investment may be required to fix or replace them. The failure of these systems and/or of disaster recovery plans for any reason could cause significant interruptions in the operations of the Fund, the Adviser, a service provider and/or the issuer of a security in which the Fund invests and may result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to investors (and the beneficial owners of investors). Such a failure could also harm the Fund’s, Adviser’s, service provider’s and/or issuer’s reputation, subject such entity and their respective affiliates to legal claims and otherwise affect their business and financial performance.
Derivatives Risk — The Fund’s use of derivatives may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase volatility. Volatility is defined as the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the overall securities markets. The possible lack of a liquid secondary market for derivatives and the resulting inability of the Fund to sell or otherwise close a derivatives position could expose the Fund to losses and could make derivatives more difficult for the Fund to value accurately. Derivatives may give rise to a form of leverage and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. Recent legislation calls for new regulation of the derivatives markets. The extent and impact of the regulation are not yet fully known and may not be known for some time. New regulation may make derivatives more costly, may limit the availability of derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Dividend Strategy Risk — The Fund’s strategy of investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Companies that issue dividend paying-stocks are not required to continue to pay dividends on such stocks. Therefore, there is the possibility that such companies could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future or the anticipated acceleration of dividends could not occur. The Fund may hold securities for short periods of time related to the dividend payment periods and may experience loss during these periods.
Emerging Market Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers located, operating or owning significant assets in “emerging markets.” Because of less developed markets and economies and, in some countries, less mature governments and governmental institutions, the risks of investing in foreign securities can be intensified in the case of investments in issuers domiciled or operating in emerging market countries. These risks include high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries; lack of liquidity and greater price volatility due to the smaller size of the market for such securities and lower trading volume; political and social uncertainties; national policies that may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities including restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; greater risks of expropriation, confiscatory taxation and nationalization; over-dependence on exports, especially with respect to primary commodities, making these economies vulnerable to changes in commodities prices; overburdened infrastructure and obsolete or unseasoned financial systems; environmental problems; less developed legal systems; and less reliable custodial services and settlement practices.
Equity-Linked Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in equity-linked securities, including, but not limited to, participation notes, certificates, and equity swaps. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or “basket” of stocks, or a single stock. To the extent that the Fund invests in equity-linked securities whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign security index or one or more foreign stocks, investing in equity-linked securities will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities and subject to the Fund’s restrictions on investments in foreign securities. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty of an equity-linked security may default on its obligations under the security. If the underlying security is determined to be illiquid, the equity-linked security would also be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
Equity Securities Risk — Although investments in equity securities, such as stocks, historically have been a leading choice for long-term investors, the values of stocks rise and fall depending on many factors. The stock or other security of a company may not perform as well as expected, and may decrease in value, because of factors related to the company (such as poorer than expected earnings or certain management decisions) or to the industry in which the company is engaged (such as a reduction in the demand for products or services in a particular industry). Market and economic factors may adversely affect securities markets generally, which could in turn adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments, regardless of the performance or expected performance of companies in which the Fund invests.
Extension Risk — When interest rates rise, repayments of fixed income securities, particularly asset- and mortgage-backed securities, may occur more slowly than anticipated, extending the effective duration of these fixed income securities at below market interest rates and causing their market prices to decline. This may cause the Fund’s share price to be more volatile.
Fixed Income Securities Risk — The securities markets are volatile and the market prices of the Fund’s securities may decline generally. Securities fluctuate in price based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions, inflation, changes in interest or currency rates, lack of liquidity in the bond markets, or adverse investor sentiment. Changes in market conditions will not have the same impact on all types of securities. The value of a security may also fall due to specific conditions that affect a particular sector of the securities market or a particular issuer.
There is no limitation on the maturities of fixed income securities in which the Fund invests. When interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities generally falls. A change in interest rates will not have the same impact on all fixed income securities. Generally, the longer the maturity or duration of a fixed income security, the greater the impact of a rise in interest rates on the security’s value. In addition, different interest rate measures (such as short- and
long-term interest rates and U.S. and foreign interest rates), or interest rates on different types of securities or securities of different issuers, may not necessarily change in the same amount or in the same direction.
Certain fixed income securities pay interest at variable or floating rates. Variable rate securities tend to reset at specified intervals, while floating rate securities may reset whenever there is a change in a specified index rate. In most cases, these reset provisions reduce the impact of changes in market interest rates on the value of the security. However, some securities do not track the underlying index directly, but reset based on formulas that may produce a leveraging effect; others may also provide for interest payments that vary inversely with market rates. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate significantly when interest rates change.
Foreign Currency Transactions Risk — The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on foreign currency transactions if changes in currency exchange rates do not occur as anticipated or do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the fund’s holdings. The Fund’s ability to use foreign currency transactions successfully depends on a number of factors, including the foreign currency transactions being available at prices that are not too costly, the availability of liquid markets and the ability of the Adviser to accurately predict the direction of changes in currency exchange rates. Currency exchange rates may be volatile and may be affected by, among other factors, the general economics of a country, the actions of U.S. and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls and speculation. A security may be denominated in a currency that is different from the currency where the issuer is domiciled. Currency transactions are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.
Losses on foreign currency transactions used for hedging purposes may be reduced by gains on the assets that are the subject of a hedge. The Fund may also purchase a foreign currency on a spot or forward basis in order to benefit from potential appreciation of such currency relative to the U.S. dollar or to other currencies in which the Fund’s holdings are denominated. Losses on such transactions may not be reduced by gains from other Fund assets. The Fund’s gains from its positions in foreign currencies may accelerate and/or recharacterize the Fund’s income or gains and its distributions to shareholders. The Fund’s losses from such positions may also recharacterize the Fund’s income and its distributions to shareholders and may cause a return of capital to Fund shareholders. The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against possible losses on foreign investments resulting from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Although this method attempts to protect the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency, it does not eliminate the fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities and while such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currency increase.
Foreign Securities Risk — The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers or issuers with significant exposure to foreign markets involve additional risk. Foreign countries in which the Fund may invest may have markets that are less liquid, less regulated and more volatile than U.S. markets. The value of the Fund’s investments may decline because of factors affecting the particular issuer as well as foreign markets and issuers generally, such as unfavorable government actions, and political or financial instability. Lack of information may also affect the value of these securities.
The value of the Fund’s foreign investments may also be affected by foreign tax laws, special U.S. tax considerations and restrictions on receiving the investment proceeds from a foreign country. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes.
In some foreign countries, less information is available about issuers and markets because of less rigorous accounting and regulatory standards than in the United States. It may be difficult for the Fund to pursue claims against a foreign issuer in the courts of a foreign country. Some securities issued by non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of such governments. Even where a security is backed by the full faith and credit of a government, it may be difficult for the fund to pursue its rights against the government. Some non-U.S. governments have defaulted on principal and interest payments, and more may do so.
Growth Stock Risk — Growth stocks are stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth stocks typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices tend to reflect future expectations. When it appears those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth stocks typically fall. Growth stocks as a group may be out of favor and underperform the overall equity market while the market concentrates on undervalued stocks.
Hedging Risk — The Fund may utilize a variety of financial instruments, such as derivatives, options, interest rate swaps, caps and floors and forward contracts, both for investment purposes and for risk management purposes. While the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce risk, such transactions may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it has not engaged in any such hedging transaction. Moreover, it should be noted that the portfolio will always be exposed to certain risks that cannot be hedged, such as credit risk (relating both to particular securities and counterparties).
Initial Public Offerings and Secondary Offerings Risk — The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of IPOs (subject to the Adviser’s discretionary policy described below) or secondary offerings of an issuer. IPOs and secondary offerings may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs and secondary offerings on the Fund’s performance likely will decrease as the Fund’s asset size increases, which could reduce the Fund’s returns. IPOs and secondary offerings may not be consistently available to the Fund for investing. IPO and secondary offering shares frequently are volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, the Fund may hold IPO and secondary offering shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, IPO and secondary offering shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.
It is the Adviser’s discretionary policy not to invest the Fund’s assets in IPOs, if, in aggregate, 25% or greater of the Fund’s shares are beneficially owned by the Adviser or principals of the Adviser. So from time to time, the Fund may or may not be restricted from investing in IPOs. The Adviser’s discretionary policy is described in greater detail in the Fund’s SAI.
Interest Rate Risk — Interest rate risk is the risk of a change in the price of debt obligations when prevailing interest rates increase or decline. In general, if interest rates rise, the prices of debt obligations fall, and if interest rates fall, the prices of debt obligations rise. Changes in the values of debt obligations usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from them but will affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt obligations with longer maturities. Rising interest rates could result in higher costs of capital for real estate companies, which could negatively affect a real estate company's ability to meet its payment obligations.
Issuer Risk — Issuer risk is the possibility that changes in the financial condition of the issuer of an obligation, changes in general economic conditions, or changes in economic conditions that affect the issuer may impact its actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely payments of interest or principal. This could result in a decrease in the price of the obligation and in some cases a decrease in income.
Leverage Risk — Subject to certain limitations, the Fund may use leverage in connection with its investment activities and may affect short sales of securities. These investment practices involve special risks. Leverage is the practice of borrowing money to purchase securities. It can increase the investment returns of the Fund if the securities purchased increase in value in an amount exceeding the cost of the borrowing. However, if the securities decrease in value, the Fund will suffer a greater loss than would have resulted without the use of leverage.
Liquidity Risk — Some securities held by the Fund may be difficult to sell, or illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may also be difficult to value. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the Fund may be forced to sell at a loss. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Adviser or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities.
Management Risk — The Adviser’s judgment about the quality, relative yield or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security or sector, or about interest rates generally, may be incorrect. The Adviser’s security selections and other investment decisions might produce losses or cause the Fund to underperform when compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and strategies.
Market Risk — The global financial crisis that began in 2008 has caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities and unprecedented volatility in the markets. Some events that have contributed to ongoing and systemic market risks include: the falling values of some sovereign debt and related investments, scarcity of credit and high public debt.
Governmental and non-governmental issuers (notably in Europe) have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure their debts; and many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations. These market conditions may continue, worsen or spread, including in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In response to the crisis, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain foreign governments and their central banks have taken steps to support financial markets, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels. More recently, the Federal Reserve has reduced its market support activities. Further reduction or withdrawal of this support, failure of efforts in response to the crisis, or investor perception that such efforts are not succeeding could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as result in higher interest rates, increase market volatility and reduce the value and liquidity of certain securities.
This environment could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the subadvisers and/or advisers of an underlying fund, and whether or not the fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the fund's investments may be negatively affected. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are affecting many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.
Micro Capitalization Company Risk — The Fund may invest in the stocks of micro-cap companies with capitalizations under $100 million. Stock prices of micro capitalization companies are significantly more volatile, and more vulnerable to adverse business and economic developments than those of larger companies. Micro capitalization companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies, including companies which are considered small or medium capitalization. Micro capitalization companies often have limited product lines, services, markets, financial resources or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks are not well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio.
Mortgage Related and Asset Backed Securities Risk — Mortgage backed and asset backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of mortgages and other securities may be able to repay principal prior to the security’s maturity causing the Fund to have to reinvest the securities with a lower yield, resulting in a decline to the Fund’s income. Mortgage backed and asset backed securities are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that when interest rates rise, certain of these securities will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline to the Fund’s income and potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments. Because of prepayment and extension risk, Mortgage backed and asset backed securities react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds. Small movements in the interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage backed and asset backed securities.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk — The Fund is “non-diversified.” This means that, as compared to mutual funds which are diversified, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer. As a result, the Fund may hold larger positions in a relatively small number of stocks as compared to many other mutual funds. This may make the Fund’s performance more volatile than would be the case if it had a more diversified investment portfolio.
Non-Investment Grade Securities (“Junk Bonds”) Risk — Although non-investment grade securities generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade securities, non-investment grade securities are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. The major risks of non-investment grade investments include:
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Non-investment grade securities may be issued by less creditworthy issuers. Issuers of non-investment grade securities may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade securities. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of holders of non-investment grade securities, leaving few or no assets available to repay holders of non-investment grade securities.
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Prices of non-investment grade securities are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Adverse changes in an issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of non-investment grade securities than on other higher rated fixed-income securities.
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Issuers of non-investment grade securities may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments, or the unavailability of additional financing.
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Non-investment grade securities frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from the Fund before it matures. If the issuer redeems non-investment grade securities, the Fund may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income.
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Non-investment grade securities may be less liquid than higher rated fixed-income securities, even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the non-investment grade securities market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of the Fund’s securities than is the case with securities trading in a more liquid market.
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The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.
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The credit rating of a high yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk. Ratings and market value may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer.
Operational Risk – Your ability to transact with the Fund or the valuation of your investment may be negatively impacted because of the operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third party service providers or trading counterparties. Although the Fund attempts to minimize such failures through controls and oversight, it is not possible to identify all of the operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls that completely eliminate or mitigate the occurrence of such failures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Options and Futures Risk — Although options and futures transactions are intended to enable the Fund to manage market and interest rate risks, these investments can be highly volatile, and the Fund’s use of them could result in poorer investment performance. The Fund’s use of these investment devices for hedging purposes may not be successful. Successful hedging strategies require the ability to predict future movements in securities prices, interest rates and other economic factors. When the Fund uses futures contracts and options as hedging devices, there is a risk that the prices of the securities subject to the futures contracts and options may not correlate perfectly with the prices of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio. This may cause the futures and options to react to market changes differently than the portfolio securities. In addition, the Adviser could be incorrect in its expectations about the direction or extent of market factors, such as interest rates, securities price movements and other economic factors. Even if the expectations of the Adviser are correct, a hedge could be unsuccessful if changes in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities does not correspond to changes in the value of its futures contracts. The Fund’s ability to establish and close out futures contracts and options on futures contracts positions depends on the availability of a secondary market. If the Fund is unable to close out its position due to disruptions in the market or lack of liquidity, the Fund may lose money on the futures contract or option, and the losses to the Fund could be significant.
Other Investment Company Risk— The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, which may include open-end funds, closed-end funds and unit investment trusts, subject to the limits set forth in the 1940 Act that apply to those types of investments. The market value of the shares of other investment companies may differ from the net asset value of the Fund. The shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. As a shareholder in an investment company, the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of that entity’s expenses, including its investment advisory and administration fees. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own management fee and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its shareholders, in effect, will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
Portfolio Turnover Risk — The Fund may engage in short-term trading strategies and securities may be sold without regard to the length of time held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. These policies, together with the ability of the Fund to effect short sales of securities and to engage in transactions in options and futures, may have the effect of increasing the annual rate of portfolio turnover of the Fund. A high portfolio turnover rate will result in greater brokerage and transaction costs. It may also result in greater realization of gains, which may include short-term gains taxable at ordinary income tax rates.
Preferred Stock Risk — Preferred securities may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred securities are subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a company’s preferred securities generally pay dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred securities will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred securities of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies.
Prepayment or Call Risk — Many fixed income securities give the issuer the option to repay or call the security prior to its maturity date. Issuers often exercise this right when interest rates fall. Accordingly, if the Fund holds a fixed income security subject to prepayment or call risk, it may not benefit fully from the increase in value that other fixed income securities generally experience when interest rates fall. Upon prepayment of the security, the Fund would also be forced to reinvest the proceeds at then current yields, which would be lower than the yield of the security that was paid off. In addition, if the Fund purchases a fixed income security at a premium (at a price that exceeds its stated par or principal value), the Fund may lose the amount of the premium paid in the event of prepayment.
Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) Risk — Investments in REITs will subject the Fund to various risks. The first, real estate industry risk, is the risk that REIT share prices will decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the country or of different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. REITs often invest in highly leveraged properties. The second risk is the risk that returns from REITs, which typically are small or medium capitalization stocks, will trail returns from the overall stock market. The third, interest rate risk, is the risk that changes in interest rates may hurt real estate values or make REIT shares less attractive than other income producing investments. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. Qualification as a REIT under the Code in any particular year is a complex analysis that depends on a number of factors. There can be no assurance that the entities in which the Fund invests with the expectation that they will be taxed as a REIT will qualify as a REIT. An entity that fails to qualify as a REIT would be subject to a corporate level tax, would not be entitled to a deduction for dividends paid to its shareholders and would not pass through to its shareholders the long-term capital gains character of such gains earned by the entity. If the Fund were to invest in an entity that failed to qualify as a REIT, such failure could drastically reduce the Fund’s yield on that investment. REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest primarily in real property and earn rental income from leasing those properties. They may also realize gains or losses from the sale of properties. Equity REITs will be affected by conditions in the real estate rental market and by changes in the value of the properties they own. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in mortgages and similar real estate interests and receive interest payments from the owners of the mortgaged properties. They are paid interest by the owners of the financed properties. Mortgage REITs will be affected by changes in creditworthiness of borrowers and changes in interest rates. Hybrid REITs invest both in real property and in mortgages. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. Dividends paid by REITs will not generally qualify for the reduced U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to qualified dividends under the Code. The Fund’s investments in REITs may include an additional risk to shareholders in that some or all of a REIT’s annual distributions to its investors may constitute a non-taxable return of capital. Any such return of capital will generally reduce the Fund’s basis in the REIT investment, but not below zero. To the extent the distributions from a particular REIT exceed the Fund’s basis in such REIT, the Fund will generally recognize gain. In part because REIT distributions often include a nontaxable return of capital, Fund distributions to shareholders may also include a nontaxable return of capital. Shareholders that receive such a distribution will also reduce their tax basis in their share of the Fund, but not below zero. To the extent the distribution exceeds a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares, such shareholder will generally recognize capital gain.
Real Estate Securities Risks —The value of the shares of the Fund will be affected by factors affecting the value of real estate and the earnings of companies engaged in the real estate industry. These factors include, among others: (i) changes in general economic and market conditions; (ii) changes in the value of real estate properties; (iii) risks related to local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) changes in zoning laws; (vi) casualty and condemnation losses; (vii) variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of property to tenants; and (viii) changes in interest rates. Many real estate companies utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. The value of securities of companies in the real estate industry may go through cycles of relative under performance and out performance in comparison to equity securities markets in general.
There are also special risks associated with particular sectors of real estate investments:
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Retail Properties. Retail properties are affected by the overall health of the economy and may be adversely affected by, among other things, the growth of alternative forms of retailing, bankruptcy, departure or cessation of operations of a tenant, a shift in consumer demand due to demographic changes, changes in spending patterns and lease terminations. |
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Office Properties. Office properties are affected by the overall health of the economy, and other factors such as a downturn in the businesses operated by their tenants, obsolescence and non-competitiveness. |
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Hotel Properties. The risks of hotel properties include, among other things, the necessity of a high level of continuing capital expenditures, competition, increases in operating costs which may not be offset by increases in revenues, dependence on business and commercial travelers and tourism, increases in fuel costs and other expenses of travel, and adverse effects of general and local economic conditions. Hotel properties tend to be more sensitive to adverse economic conditions and competition than many other commercial properties. |
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Healthcare Properties. Healthcare properties and healthcare providers are affected by several significant factors, including federal, state and local laws governing licenses, certification, adequacy of care, pharmaceutical distribution, rates, equipment, personnel and other factors regarding operations, continued availability of revenue from government reimbursement programs and competition on a local and regional basis. The failure of any healthcare operator to comply with governmental laws and regulations may affect its ability to operate its facility or receive government reimbursements. |
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Multifamily Properties. The value and successful operation of a multifamily property may be affected by a number of factors such as the location of the property, the ability of the management team, the level of mortgage rates, the presence of competing properties, adverse economic conditions in the locale, oversupply and rent control laws or other laws affecting such properties. |
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Community Centers. Community center properties are dependent upon the successful operations and financial condition of their tenants, particularly certain of their major tenants, and could be adversely affected by bankruptcy of those tenants. In some cases a tenant may lease a significant portion of the space in one center, and the filing of bankruptcy could cause significant revenue loss. Like others in the commercial real estate industry, community centers are subject to environmental risks and interest rate risk. They also face the need to enter into new leases or renew leases on favorable terms to generate rental revenues. Community center properties could be adversely affected by changes in the local markets where their properties are located, as well as by adverse changes in national economic and market conditions. |
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Self-Storage Properties. The value and successful operation of a self-storage property may be affected by a number of factors, such as the ability of the management team, the location of the property, the presence of competing properties, changes in traffic patterns and effects of general and local economic conditions with respect to rental rates and occupancy levels. |
Other factors may contribute to the risk of real estate investments:
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Development Issues. Certain real estate companies may engage in the development or construction of real estate properties. These companies in which the Fund invests (“portfolio companies”) are exposed to a variety of risks inherent in real estate development and construction, such as the risk that there will be insufficient tenant demand to occupy newly developed properties, and the risk that prices of construction materials or construction labor may rise materially during the development. |
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Lack of Insurance. Certain of the portfolio companies may fail to carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake extended coverage and rental loss insurance, or insurance in place may be subject to various policy specifications, limits and deductibles. Should any type of uninsured loss occur, the portfolio company could lose its investment in, and anticipated profits and cash flows from, a number of properties and, as a result, the Fund’s investment performance may be adversely affected. |
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Financial Leverage. Global real estate companies may be highly leveraged and financial covenants may affect the ability of global real estate companies to operate effectively. |
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Environmental Issues. In connection with the ownership (direct or indirect), operation, management and development of real properties that may contain hazardous or toxic substances, a portfolio company may be considered an owner, operator or responsible party of such properties and, therefore, may be potentially liable for removal or remediation costs, as well as certain other costs, including governmental fines and liabilities for injuries to persons and property. The existence of any such material environmental liability could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations and cash flow of any such portfolio company and, as a result, the amount available to make distributions on shares of the Fund could be reduced. |
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Recent Events. The value of real estate is particularly susceptible to acts of terrorism and other changes in foreign and domestic conditions. |
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REIT Issues. REITs are subject to a highly technical and complex set of provisions in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). It is possible that the Fund may invest in a real estate company which purports to be a REIT but which fails to qualify as a REIT. In the event of any such unexpected failure to qualify as a |
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REIT, the purported REIT would be subject to corporate level taxation, significantly reducing the return to the Fund on their investment in such company. See “REIT Risk” above. |
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Financing Issues. Financial institutions in which the Fund may invest are subject to extensive government regulation. This regulation may limit both the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments a financial institution can make, and the interest rates and fees it can charge. In addition, interest and investment rates are highly sensitive and are determined by many factors beyond a financial institution’s control, including general and local economic conditions (such as inflation, recession, money supply and unemployment) and the monetary and fiscal policies of various governmental agencies such as the Federal Reserve Board. These limitations may have a significant impact on the profitability of a financial institution since profitability is attributable, at least in part, to the institution’s ability to make financial commitments such as loans. Profitability of a financial institution is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of the institution’s funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. |
Repurchase Agreements Risk — A repurchase agreement is an agreement by which the Fund purchases a security (usually U.S. Government securities) for cash and obtains a simultaneous commitment from the seller (usually a bank or dealer) to repurchase the security at an agreed upon price and specified future date. The repurchase price reflects an agreed upon interest rate for the time period of the agreement. The Fund’s risk is the inability of the seller to pay the agreed upon price on the delivery date. However, this risk is tempered by the ability of the Fund to sell the security in the open market in the case of a default. In such a case, the Fund may incur costs in disposing of the security which would increase the Fund’s expenses. The Adviser monitors the creditworthiness of the firms with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk — Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund, including the value of the investments made with cash collateral, is less than the value of securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences to the Fund.
Rule 144A Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in restricted securities that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “1933 Act”). Generally, Rule 144A establishes a safe harbor from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resale by large institutional investors of securities that are not publicly traded. The Adviser determines the liquidity of the Rule 144A securities according to guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees monitors the application of those guidelines and procedures. Securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, which are determined to be liquid, are not subject to the Fund’s limitation on the amount of illiquid securities it may purchase.
Securities Lending Risk — Lending securities involves the risk of possible delay in receiving additional collateral, delay in recovery of securities when the loan is called or possible loss of collateral should the borrower fail financially. The Fund could also lose money if its short-term investment of the cash collateral declines in value over the period of the loan.
Short Sales Risk — A short sale is the sale by the Fund of a security which it does not own in anticipation of purchasing the same security in the future at a lower price to close the short position. A short sale will be successful if the price of the shorted security decreases. However, if the underlying security goes up in price during the period in which the short position is outstanding, the Fund will realize a loss. The risk on a short sale is unlimited because the Fund must buy the shorted security at the higher price to complete the transaction. Therefore, short sales may be subject to greater risks than investments in long positions. With a long position, the maximum sustainable loss is limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted security. The Fund would also incur increased transaction costs associated with selling securities short. In addition, if the Fund sells securities short, it must maintain a segregated account with its custodian containing cash or high-grade securities equal to (i) the greater of the current market value of the securities sold short or the market value of such securities at the time they were sold short, less (ii) any collateral deposited with the Fund’s broker (not including the proceeds from the short sales). The Fund may be required to add to the segregated account as the market price of a shorted security increases. As a result of maintaining and adding to its segregated account, the Fund may maintain higher levels of cash or liquid assets (for example, U.S. Treasury bills, repurchase agreements, high quality
commercial paper and long equity positions) for collateral needs thus reducing its overall managed assets available for trading purposes.
Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk — Many issuers in which the Fund may invest are small or medium capitalization companies which may be newly formed or have limited product lines, distribution channels and financial and managerial resources. The risks associated with these investments are generally greater than those associated with investments in the securities of larger, more well-established companies. This may cause the Fund’s share price to be more volatile when compared to investment companies that focus only on large capitalization companies. Securities of small or medium capitalization companies are more likely to experience sharper swings in market values, less liquid markets, in which it may be more difficult for the Adviser to sell at times and at prices that the Adviser believes appropriate and generally are more volatile than those of larger companies. Compared to large companies, smaller companies are more likely to have (i) less information publicly available, (ii) more limited product lines or markets and less mature businesses, (iii) fewer capital resources, (iv) more limited management depth and (v) shorter operating histories. Further, the equity securities of smaller companies are often traded over-the-counter and generally experience a lower trading volume than is typical for securities that are traded on a national securities exchange. Consequently, the Fund may be required to dispose of these securities over a longer period of time (and potentially at less favorable prices) than would be the case for securities of larger companies, offering greater potential for gains and losses and associated tax consequences.
Sovereign Debt Risk — Sovereign debt instruments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debt that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected.
Swaps Risk — Swap agreements are derivative instruments that can be individually negotiated and structured to address exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates, foreign currency values, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices or inflation rates. The Fund also may enter into swaptions, which are options to enter into a swap agreement. Since these transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal, the risk of loss with respect to swap agreements and swaptions generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. There is also a risk of a default by the other party to a swap agreement or swaption, in which case the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that such Fund contractually is entitled to receive.
Tax Risk — Changes in tax laws or adverse determinations by the Internal Revenue Service may change the degree to which the income of the Fund is taxable. Additionally, maximizing after-tax income may require trade-offs that reduce pre-tax income. The Fund’s tax-efficient strategies may reduce the taxable income of the Fund’s shareholders, but will not eliminate it. There can be no assurance that taxable distributions can always be avoided or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Temporary Defensive Position Risk — The value of the investments held by the Fund for cash management or defensive investing purposes may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in credit ratings of the investments. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depository institution holding the cash. If a significant amount of the Fund’s assets are used for cash management or defensive investing purposes, it will be more difficult for the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Undervalued Stock Risk — The Fund may pursue strategies that may include investing in securities, which, in the opinion of the Adviser, are undervalued. The identification of investment opportunities in undervalued securities is a difficult task and there is no assurance that such opportunities will be successfully recognized or acquired. While investments in undervalued securities offer opportunities for above-average capital appreciation, these investments involve a high degree of financial risk and can result in substantial losses.
U.S. Government Securities Risk — U.S. government securities are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government, its agencies or government-sponsored entities. U.S. government securities include issues by non-governmental entities (like financial institutions) that carry direct guarantees from U.S. government agencies as part of
government initiatives in response to the market crisis or otherwise. Although the U.S. government guarantees principal and interest payments on securities issued by the U.S. government and some of its agencies, such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), this guarantee does not apply to losses resulting from declines in the market value of these securities. Some of the U.S. government securities that the Fund may hold are not guaranteed or backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, such as those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Although the U.S. government has recently provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored enterprises in the future.
Valuation Risk — Many factors may influence the price at which the Fund could sell any particular portfolio investment. The sales price may well differ — higher or lower — from the Fund’s last valuation, and such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the Fund may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value methodologies. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received if the Fund had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology. The value of foreign securities, certain fixed income securities and currencies, as applicable, may be materially affected by events after the close of the market on which they are valued, but before the fund determines its net asset value. The Fund’s ability to value its investments may be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third party service providers.
Warrants Risk — If the price of the underlying stock does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, the warrant generally expires without any value and the Fund loses any amount it paid for the warrant. Thus, investments in warrants may involve substantially more risk than investments in common stock. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of the warrant does not necessarily move with the price of the underlying stock.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions Risk — The Fund may enter into transactions to purchase a security on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis in which it commits to buy a security, but does not pay for or take delivery of the security until some specified date in the future. The value of these securities is subject to market fluctuation during this period and no income accrues to the Fund until settlement. At the time of settlement, the value of a security may be less than its purchase price. When entering into these transactions, the Fund relies on the other party to consummate the transactions; if the other party fails to do so, the Fund may be disadvantaged. The Fund does not intend to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis for speculative purposes, but only in furtherance of its investment objectives.
Portfolio Holdings Information
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s SAI. The Fund posts its complete portfolio holdings at www.alpinefunds.com on a quarterly basis. The Fund intends to post its complete portfolio holdings 45 calendar days following the quarter-end. The Fund intends to make its top ten holdings available at www.alpinefunds.com on a monthly basis. The Fund intends to post this information 10 days following each month-end. Such information will remain available until the next month’s or quarter’s holdings are posted.
Management of the Fund
The management of the Fund is supervised by the Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) of Alpine Equity Trust. Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC, located at 2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215, Purchase, New York 10577-2540, serves as the investment adviser of each Fund (the “Adviser”).
Investment Adviser
The Adviser is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser is a privately owned investment management firm that manages a family of open-end mutual funds (the “Alpine Funds”), three closed-end funds, three unregistered funds and offers individualized services for institutional clients. The Adviser began conducting business in March 1998 and together with its affiliated entities, had approximately $4.0 billion in assets under management as of July 31, 2015. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company organized on December 3, 1997. All membership interests
in the Adviser are owned by Alpine Woods, L.P. Mr. Samuel A. Lieber has a majority interest in this partnership and is the controlling person of its general partner. He co-founded the Adviser in 1998 with his father, Stephen A. Lieber.
Under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser carries out the investment and reinvestment of the managed assets of the Fund, furnishes continuously an investment program with respect to the Fund, determines which securities should be purchased, sold or exchanged, and implements such determinations. The Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and furnishes office facilities, equipment and personnel for servicing the investments of the Fund. The Adviser compensates all Trustees and officers of the Fund who are members of the Adviser’s organization and who render investment services to the Fund, and also compensates all other Adviser personnel who provide research and investment services to the Fund.
In return for these services, facilities and payments, the Fund has agreed to pay the Adviser as compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement a monthly fee computed at the annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund on the first $750 million of assets, 0.90% of the average daily net assets of the Fund on the next $250 million in assets, and 0.80% of the average daily net assets of the Fund in excess of $1 billion.
The Adviser has agreed contractually to waive and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund so that total annual fund operating expenses (including 12b-1 fees, but excluding interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed annually 1.60% of the average net assets of the Class A shares and 1.35% of the average net assets of the Institutional Class shares. This arrangement cannot be terminated prior to March 1, 2017 without the Board of Trustees’ consent. The Adviser may recapture amounts waived and/or reimbursed to a class if such recapture occurs within three years of the waiver and/or reimbursement and does not cause the total annual fund operating expenses of the Fund for any year to exceed the limits described above.
Since the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, no waivers have been triggered and no reimbursements have been made.
Securities considered as investments for the Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. If transactions on behalf of more than one fund during the same period increase the demand for securities purchased or the supply of securities sold, there may be an adverse effect on price or quantity. In addition, under its arrangements with the three unregistered funds that it manages, the General Partner of the unregistered funds, which is an affiliate of the Adviser, is entitled to receive an incentive allocation to the extent that returns for any of those funds exceed a threshold return. This may create an incentive for the Adviser to allocate attractive investment opportunities to such funds. Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell securities by the Fund and one or more of such other accounts simultaneously, the Adviser will allocate the security transactions (including “hot” issues) in a manner which it believes to be fair and equitable under the circumstances. The SAI provides additional information regarding such allocation policies.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Alpine Equity Trust, on behalf of the Fund, will be available in its first shareholder report.
Legal Proceedings
On February 7, 2011, the Adviser and its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Samuel A. Lieber, settled administrative proceedings brought by the SEC. The settlement relates to the Adviser’s record-keeping, compliance policies and procedures and disclosures—particularly, in relation to initial public offering investment activities—during the period February 1, 2006 through January 31, 2008, and the violations alleged in the order pertain to statutory provisions and SEC rules that are non-fraud based. In the settlement, the Adviser and Mr. Lieber agreed, without admitting or denying the findings in the administrative order, to the entry of an order requiring it to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of certain statutory provisions and SEC rules that relate to fund disclosures, books and records and compliance policies and procedures. The Adviser consented to a censure and to pay the SEC a civil monetary penalty of $650,000. Mr. Lieber consented to pay the SEC a civil monetary penalty of $65,000. The settlement does not impose any restriction on the Adviser’s business or on Mr. Lieber’s continued ability to serve as the CEO of the Adviser or as manager of any fund portfolios. In the order, the SEC acknowledged that, both before and during the SEC staff’s investigation, and before the settlement, the Adviser already had made a number of significant changes to, and enhancements of, its personnel, policies, and procedures
concerning the matters involved in the proceedings. No other current or former Alpine-related entities or employees are subject to the SEC order.
Portfolio Managers
Bruce Ebnother
Mr. Bruce Ebnother joined the Adviser in 2011 as its Senior Investment Risk Strategist as well as a portfolio manager focusing on Real Estate Investments. He is co-portfolio manager of the Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund and the Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund. He is also a member of the investment team for the Alpine Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund. Prior to joining the Adviser, he spent 15 years at UBS Global Asset Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Investment Officer for Global Real Estate Securities. Mr. Ebnother earned his bachelor's degree in Brazilian Studies from Brown University.
Joel Wells
Mr. Joel Wells is the co-portfolio manager of the Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund, the Alpine Emerging Markets Real Estate Fund, and the Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund. Mr. Wells joined the Adviser in November 2006, after serving as an Equity Research Associate Analyst on the Real Estate, REITs, and Lodging team at Wachovia Capital Markets. Mr. Wells earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, an MA from St. John’s College, and an International M.B.A. from the University of Chicago School of Business.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund.
How the Fund Values Its Shares
The price of the Fund’s shares is based on the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). You may buy, exchange or redeem shares at their NAV next determined after receipt of your request in good order, adjusted for any applicable sales charge. Because of the differences in distribution fees and class-specific expenses, the per share NAV of each class will differ. The NAV of shares of the Fund is calculated by dividing the value of the Fund’s net assets by the number of the Fund’s outstanding shares. The NAV takes into account the fees and expenses of the Fund, including management, administration and other fees, which are accrued daily. The price at which a purchase or redemption is effected is based on the NAV next computed after the Fund or its agents receive your request in good order. All requests received in good order before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or the closing of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), whichever occurs earlier (the “cut off time”), will be executed at the NAV computed on that same day. Requests received after the cut off time (except for requests made on behalf of certain eligible retirement accounts and other omnibus accounts (such as 401(k), 403(b), 457, Keogh, Profit Sharing Plans, Money Purchase Pensions Plans, accounts held under trust agreements at a trust institution, accounts held at a brokerage, or “Fund Supermarkets”)) will receive the next business day’s NAV.
In computing NAV, portfolio securities held by the Fund are valued at their current market values determined on the basis of market quotations. If market quotations are not readily available or securities are not valued by third party pricing services, securities are valued at fair value in accordance with fair value procedure adopted by the Board. The Fund will use an independent party pricing service or, if unavailable, fair value pricing where: (i) a security is illiquid (restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days); (ii) the market or exchange for a security is closed on an ordinary trading day and no other market prices are available; (iii) the security is so thinly traded that there have been no transactions in the security over an extended period; or (iv) the validity of a market quotation received is questionable. In addition, fair value pricing will be used if emergency or unusual situations have occurred, such as when trading of a security on an exchange is suspended; or when an event occurs after the close of the exchange on which the security is principally traded that is likely to have changed the value of the security before the NAV is calculated (applicable to foreign securities).
Fair Value Pricing
The trading hours for most foreign securities end prior to the close of the NYSE, the time the Fund’s NAV is calculated. The occurrence of certain events after the close of foreign markets, but prior to the close of the U.S. market (such as a significant surge or decline in the U.S. market) often will result in an adjustment to the trading prices of foreign securities when foreign markets open on the following business day. If such events occur, the Fund may value
foreign securities at fair value, taking into account such events, when it calculates its net asset value. Fair value determinations are made in good faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees adopted procedures which utilize fair value procedures when any assets for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the Fund’s pricing service does not provide a valuation or provides a valuation that in the judgment of the Adviser does not represent fair value. The Fund may also fair value a security if the Fund or the Adviser believes that the market price is stale. Other types of securities that the Fund may hold for which fair value pricing might be required include illiquid securities including restricted securities and private placements for which there is no public market. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it were to sell the security at approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per share.
Anti-Money Laundering
In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Fund’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) will verify certain information on your application as part of the Fund’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-888-785-5578 if you need additional assistance when completing your application.
If the Transfer Agent does not have a reasonable belief of the identity of an investor, the account will be rejected or the investor will not be allowed to perform a transaction on the account until clarifying information/documentation is received. The Fund also reserves the right to close the account within five business days if clarifying information/documentation is not received. Accounts may be restricted and/or closed, and the monies withheld, pending verification of this information or as otherwise required under these and other federal regulations.
How to Buy Shares – Class A
The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
You may purchase shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary on any day the NYSE is open. The minimum initial investment in the Fund’s Class A shares is $2,500. The minimum may be waived in certain situations. There is no minimum investment requirement for subsequent investments. The offering price of each share will be the next determined net asset value plus the applicable sales charge. The applicable sales charge may be waived in certain situations. A detailed description of the situations in which the sales charge may be waived is set forth in the section titled, “Sales Charge.” You must have an arrangement with your financial intermediary to buy additional shares.
Certain intermediaries, including broker-dealers have been designated as agents authorized to accept purchase, redemption and exchange orders for Fund shares. Orders placed through an intermediary will be deemed to have been received and accepted by the Fund when the intermediary accepts the order. These intermediaries are required by contract and applicable law to ensure that orders are executed at the appropriate price after the intermediary receives the request in good form. These authorized intermediaries are responsible for transmitting requests and delivering funds on a timely basis.
How to Buy Shares – Institutional Class
You may purchase shares of the Fund on any day the NYSE is open. The minimum initial investment for the Institutional Class in each Fund is $1,000,000. The minimum may be waived in certain situations as described below. There is no minimum investment requirement for subsequent investments if mailed by check. Telephone and Internet subsequent purchases are subject to a minimum of $100. Shares will be issued at the net asset value per share next computed after the receipt of your purchase request in good order by the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary, together with payment in the amount of the purchase. No sales charge is imposed on purchases or on the reinvestment of dividends. Stock certificates will not be issued. Instead, your ownership of shares will be reflected in your account records with the Fund. All requests received in good order before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or the closing of the NYSE, whichever is earlier, will be processed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will receive the next business day’s NAV.
Minimum initial purchase amounts for the Institutional Class are waived for the following:
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Employees of the Adviser or its affiliates and their immediate family |
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Current and former Trustees of funds advised by the Adviser |
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The Adviser or its affiliates |
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Investors in employee retirement, stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plans |
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Investment advisory clients of the Adviser or its affiliates |
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Registered Investment Advisers |
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Broker/Dealers and Registered Investment Advisers with clients participating in comprehensive fee programs |
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Any corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust, fund or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not that has a formal or informal consulting or advisory relationship with the Adviser or a third party through which the investment is made |
These waivers may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Purchases by Mail – Institutional Class Only
To make an initial purchase by mail:
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Complete the application. |
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Mail the application, together with a check made payable to the Alpine Funds to: |
By Mail:
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By Overnight Delivery or Express Mail:
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Alpine Funds
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Alpine Funds
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c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
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c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
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PO Box 8061
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30 Dan Road
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Boston, MA 02266-8061
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Canton, MA 02021-2089
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Payment should be made by check in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, savings and loan association, or credit union. The Fund does not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Fund also does not accept cashier’s checks in amounts of less than $10,000. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares. The Fund is unable to accept post dated checks, post dated on-line bill pay checks, or any conditional order or payment. |
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Subsequent investments may be made in the same manner, but you need not include an application. When making a subsequent investment, use the return remittance portion of your statement, or indicate on the face of your check, the name of the Fund in which the investment is to be made, the exact title of the account, your address, and your Fund account number. |
Purchases by Internet – Institutional Class Only
To open an account via the Internet with no forms to print or mail, go to www.alpinefunds.com.
Payment for shares purchased through the Fund’s website may be made only through an Automatic Clearing House (“ACH”) debit of your bank account of record. Redemptions will be paid by check, wire or ACH transfer only to the address or bank account of record. Only bank accounts held at U.S. financial institutions that are ACH members can be used for transactions through the Fund’s website. Transactions initiated through the website are subject to the same purchase and redemption minimums and maximums as other transaction methods. Minimum subsequent purchases through the website must be in amounts of $100 or more.
You should be aware that there may be delays, malfunctions or other inconveniences associated with the Internet. There also may be times when the website is unavailable for Fund transactions or other purposes. Should this happen, you should consider performing transactions by another method.
The Fund employs procedures to confirm that transactions entered through the Internet are genuine. These procedures include passwords, encryption and other precautions reasonably designed to protect the integrity, confidentiality and security of shareholder information. In order to conduct transactions on the website, you will need your account number, Social Security number, username and password. The Fund and its service providers will not be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense for following instructions communicated through the Fund’s website, including fraudulent or unauthorized instructions.
Purchases by Wire – Institutional Class Only
If you are making your first investment in the Fund, before you wire funds:
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The Transfer Agent must have a completed application. You can mail or overnight deliver your application to the Transfer Agent at the address above. |
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Upon receipt of your completed application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. |
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The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be given to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include the name of the Fund you are purchasing, your name and account number so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to: |
State Street Bank and Trust Company
One Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02111
ABA No. 011000028
Credit:
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
Account No. 9905-837-2
Further Credit:
(name of Alpine Fund to be purchased)
(shareholder registration)
(shareholder account number)
Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or the closing of the NYSE, whichever is earlier, to be eligible for same day pricing. The Fund and State Street Bank and Trust Company are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.
For Subsequent Investments – By Wire – Institutional Class Only
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Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire. |
Purchases by Telephone – Institutional Class
To make additional investments by telephone, you must check the appropriate box on your application authorizing telephone purchases. If elected on your account application and your account has been open for at least 15 days, you may purchase shares in amounts of $100 or more by calling 1-888-785-5578. Only bank accounts held at U.S. institutions that are ACH members may be used for telephone transactions. Your shares will be purchased at the net asset value calculated on the day of your purchase order. For security reasons, requests by telephone will be recorded.
Additional Information
If your purchase transaction is canceled due to nonpayment or because your check does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss the Fund or the Adviser incurs and you will be subject to a returned check fee of $25. If you are an existing shareholder of any of the Alpine Funds, the Fund may redeem shares from your account in any of the Alpine Funds to reimburse the Fund or the Adviser for the loss. In addition, you may be prohibited or restricted from making further purchases of shares.
Shares may also be purchased through certain brokers or other financial intermediaries, which may impose transaction fees and other charges. These fees and charges are not imposed by the Fund.
Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waiting times. Please allow sufficient time to ensure that you will be able to complete your telephone transaction prior to market close.
Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States. The Alpine Funds generally do not sell shares to investors residing outside the United States, even if they are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, except to investors with U.S. military APO or FPO addresses.
Under certain circumstances, if no activity occurs within a time period specified by state law, your shares in the Fund may be transferred to that state.
Exchange Privilege
You may exchange some or all of your shares of the Fund for shares of the same class of one of the other Alpine Funds. You may do this through your financial intermediary, or by telephone, mail or via the Internet as described below. An exchange involves the redemption of shares of the Fund and the purchase of shares of another Alpine Fund. Once an exchange request has been placed by telephone, mail, or Internet, it is irrevocable and may not be modified or canceled. Exchanges are made on the basis of the relative net asset values of the shares being exchanged next determined after an exchange request is received. An exchange which represents an initial investment in a fund is subject to the minimum investment requirements of that fund. In addition, brokers and other financial intermediaries may charge a fee for processing exchange requests. Exchanges are not subject to redemption fees, except in the case when you are exchanging from a fund with a redemption fee to a fund that does not currently charge a redemption fee. If you exchange from a fund without a redemption fee into a fund with a redemption fee, the fee liability begins on the trade date of the exchange and not the original share purchase date.
The Alpine Funds each have different investment objectives and policies. You should review the objective and policies of the fund whose shares will be acquired in an exchange before placing an exchange request. An exchange is a taxable transaction for Federal income tax purposes. The exchange privilege may be modified or discontinued at any time by the Alpine Funds upon sixty days’ notice.
Voluntary Conversion. Shareholders may be able to convert Class A shares to Institutional Class shares of the Fund, which have a lower expense ratio, provided certain conditions are met. This conversion feature is intended for shares held through a financial intermediary offering a fee-based or wrap fee program that has an agreement with the Adviser or the Distributor specific for this purpose. Such a conversion in these particular circumstances does not cause the shareholder to realize taxable gain or loss. Please contact your tax adviser for additional information. Not all share classes are available through all financial intermediaries.
Exchanges by Telephone – Institutional Class
To exchange shares by telephone:
● |
Call 1-888-785-5578 or your broker or financial intermediary. |
● |
Shares exchanged by telephone must have a value of $1,000 or more. |
● |
Exchange requests received after market close (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be processed using the net asset value determined on the next business day. |
● |
During periods of unusual economic or market conditions, you may experience difficulty in effecting a telephone exchange. You should follow the procedures for exchanges by mail if you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, but send your request by overnight courier to: Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021. |
To exchange shares by telephone, you must indicate this on your application. To authorize telephone exchanges after establishing your Fund account, send a signed written request to the Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., PO Box 8061, Boston, MA 02266.
Reasonable procedures are used to verify that telephone exchange instructions are genuine. If these procedures are followed, the Fund and its agents will not be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. A telephone exchange may be refused by the Fund if it is believed advisable to do so. Procedures for exchanging shares by telephone may be modified or terminated at any time.
Exchanges by Mail – Institutional Class
To exchange shares by mail:
● |
Send a written request using the procedures for written redemption requests (however, no signature guarantee is required). |
● |
For further information, call 1-888-785-5578 or your broker or financial intermediary. |
Exchanges by Internet – Institutional Class
To exchange shares via the Internet:
● |
During periods of unusual economic or market conditions, you may experience difficulty in effecting an internet exchange. |
● |
Exchange requests received after market close (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be processed using the net asset value determined on the next business day. |
● |
For further information, call 1-888-785-5578 or visit the Fund’s website at www.alpinefunds.com. |
How to Redeem Shares
Class A
The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
You may redeem shares of the Fund through your financial intermediary on any day the NYSE is open. The price you will receive is the net asset value per share next computed after your redemption request is received in proper form. Redemption requests received after market close (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be processed using the NAV per share determined on the next business day. Brokers and other financial intermediaries may charge a fee for handling redemption requests. The minimum account size for the Fund is currently $1,000.
Institutional Class
You may redeem shares of the Fund on any day the NYSE is open, either directly or through your financial intermediary. The price you will receive is the NAV per share next computed after your redemption request is received in proper form. Redemption proceeds generally will be sent to you within seven days. However, if shares have recently been purchased by check, redemption proceeds will not be sent until your check has been collected (which may take up to twelve business days). Once a redemption request has been placed, it is irrevocable and may not be modified or canceled. Redemption requests received after market close (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be processed using the net asset value per share determined on the next business day. Brokers and other financial intermediaries may charge a fee for handling redemption requests.
Redeeming Shares by Mail – Institutional Class
To redeem shares by mail:
|
● |
Send a letter of instruction signed by all registered owners of the account to: Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., PO Box 8061, Boston, MA 02266. |
|
● |
Additional documentation is required for the redemption of shares by corporations, financial intermediaries, fiduciaries and surviving joint owners. |
|
● |
Payment for the redeemed shares will be mailed to you by check at the address indicated in your account registration. |
For further information, call 1-888-785-5578 or your broker or financial intermediary.
Redeeming Shares by Telephone – Institutional Class
To redeem shares by telephone:
● |
Call 1-888-785-5578 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on any business day (i.e., any weekday exclusive of days on which the NYSE is closed). |
● |
Specify the amount of shares you want to redeem (minimum $1,000). |
● |
Provide the account name, as registered with the Fund, and the account number. |
● |
Redemption proceeds will be mailed to you by check at the address indicated in your account registration, or wired to an account at a commercial bank that you have previously designated. Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be cancelled or modified. A $15.00 charge is deducted from redemption proceeds if the proceeds are wired. This charge is subject to change without notice. Redemption proceeds may also be sent via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, to your predetermined bank account. There is no charge for the electronic funds transfer however credit may not be available for two to three days. |
● |
During periods of unusual economic or market conditions, you may experience difficulty effecting a telephone redemption. In that event, you should follow the procedures for redemption by mail and send your written request by overnight courier to: Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 30 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021. |
To redeem shares by telephone, you must indicate this on your application and choose how the redemption proceeds are to be paid. To authorize telephone redemption after establishing your account, or to change instructions already given, send a signed written request to the Alpine Funds c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., PO Box 8061, Boston, MA 02266. Signatures may require a guarantee or verification by a bank or trust company (not a notary public), a member firm of a domestic stock exchange or by another financial institution whose guarantees or authentication are acceptable to the Transfer Agent. You should allow approximately ten business days for the form to be processed.
Reasonable procedures are used to verify that telephone redemption requests are genuine. These procedures include requiring some form of personal identification and tape recording of conversations. If these procedures are followed, the Fund and its agents will not be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. The Fund reserves the right to refuse a telephone redemption request, if it is believed advisable to do so. The telephone redemption option may be suspended or terminated at any time without advance notice.
Redemption Fee
The Fund is designed for long-term investors willing to accept the risks associated with a long-term investment. The Fund is not designed for short-term traders whose frequent purchases and redemptions can generate substantial cash flow. These cash flows can unnecessarily disrupt the Fund’s investment programs. Short-term traders often redeem when the market is most turbulent, thereby forcing the sale of underlying securities held by the Fund at the worst possible time as far as long-term investors are concerned. Short-term trading drives up the Fund’s transaction costs, measured by both commissions and bid/ask spreads, which are borne by the remaining long-term investors. Additionally, redemption of short-term holdings may create missed opportunity costs for the Fund, as the Adviser is unable to take or maintain positions with certain securities employing certain strategies that require a longer period of time to achieve anticipated results.
For these reasons, the Fund assesses a 1.00% fee on the redemption of the Fund’s shares held for less than 60 days. For example, a purchase with a trade date of January 2, 2015 will not be assessed a redemption fee if redeemed on or after March 3, 2015 or the following business day if this date were to fall on a weekend or holiday. Redemption fees
will be paid to the Fund to help offset transaction costs. The Fund reserves the right to waive the redemption fee, subject to its sole discretion in instances it deems not to be disadvantageous to the Fund.
The Fund will use the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method to determine the 60 day holding period. Under this method, the date of the redemption will be compared to the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. If this holding period is less than 60 days, the redemption fee will be assessed. The redemption fee will be applied on redemptions of each investment made by a shareholder that does not remain in the Fund for 60 days, not including, the date of purchase.
The redemption fee will not apply to any shares purchased through reinvested distributions (dividends and capital gains), or to redemptions made under the Fund’s Systematic Withdrawal Plan, as these transactions are typically de minimis. This fee will also not be assessed on certain exchanges or to the participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans that are held at the Fund in an omnibus account (such as 401(k), 403(b), 457, Keogh, Profit Sharing Plans, and Money Purchase Pension Plans) or to accounts held under trust agreements at a trust institution held at the Fund in an omnibus account. The redemption fee will also not be assessed on exchanges except in instances where you are exchanging shares of the Fund with a redemption fee into the Fund which does not currently have a redemption fee. If you exchange from the Fund without a redemption fee into the Fund with a redemption fee, the fee liability begins on the trade date of the exchange not the original share purchase date. The redemption fee will also not be assessed to accounts of the Adviser or its affiliates used to capitalize the Fund as such accounts will be used specifically to control the volatility of shareholder subscriptions and redemption to avoid adverse effects to the Fund.
The Fund may also waive the redemption fee on redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the financial intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive “wrap” fee for its services) in instances where the Fund reasonably believes either that the financial intermediary has internal policies and procedures in place to effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity or that the redemptions were effected for reasons other than the desire to profit from short-term trading in Fund shares.
Additional Redemption Information
A redemption of shares is a taxable transaction for federal income tax purposes. The Fund may pay redemption proceeds by distributing securities held by the Fund, but only in the unlikely event that the Board of Trustees of the Fund determines that payment of the proceeds in cash would adversely affect other shareholders of the Fund. Although the Fund reserves the right to pay the redemption amount in-kind through the distribution of portfolio securities, the Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash, up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s total net assets during any ninety-day period for any one shareholder.
The Fund reserves the right to:
● |
suspend redemptions or postpone payment for up to seven days or longer, as permitted by applicable law, under extraordinary circumstances, or as permitted by the SEC in order to protect remaining shareholders; |
● |
close your account in the Fund if as a result of one or more redemptions the account value has remained below $1,000 for thirty days or more. You will receive sixty days’ written notice to increase the account value before the account is closed. |
Signature Guarantees are required:
● |
If ownership is changed on your account; |
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When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record; |
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When establishing or modifying certain services on an account; |
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If a change of address request was received by the Transfer Agent within the last 15 days; |
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The Fund and/or the Transfer Agent may require a signature guarantee in other cases based on the facts and circumstances relative to the particular situation. A signature guarantee must be provided by a bank or trust |
|
company (not a notary public), a member firm of a domestic stock exchange or by another financial institution whose guarantees are acceptable to the Transfer Agent; and |
● |
For all redemptions in excess of $50,000 from any shareholder account |
In addition to the situations described above, the Fund and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.
Short-Term Trading Practices
The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has determined that the interests of long-term shareholders and the Fund’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations — also known as “market timing.” The Fund is not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales or exchanges. Excessive purchase and sale or exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and taxes and may have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund and its shareholders. For example, large flows of cash into and out of the Fund may require the Adviser to allocate a significant amount of assets to cash or other short-term investments or sell securities, rather than maintaining such assets in securities selected to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Frequent trading may cause the Fund to sell securities at less favorable prices, and transaction costs can reduce the Fund’s performance.
The Fund that invests in non-U.S. securities is subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the determination of the Fund’s net asset value as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling Fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for funds that invest in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets or high yield securities (junk bonds) that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices. This short-term arbitrage activity can reduce the return received by long-term shareholders.
The Fund discourages market timing and seeks to prevent frequent purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares that it determines may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders. The Board of Trustees has developed and adopted a market timing policy which takes steps to reduce the frequency and effect of these activities in each Fund. These steps include, monitoring trading activity and using fair value pricing, as determined by the Board of Trustees, when the Adviser determines current market prices are not readily available. These techniques may change from time to time as determined by the Fund in its sole discretion.
The Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to identify trading practices as abusive. If as a result of its own investigation, information provided by a financial intermediary or other third party, or otherwise, the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Fund rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Fund will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. In addition, any redemptions or exchanges that you make (as a result of the activity described above or otherwise) will be subject to any and all redemption fees.
For transactions placed directly with the Fund, the Fund may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same financial intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Fund. Certain accounts, such as omnibus accounts and accounts at financial intermediaries, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Fund with net purchase or redemption and exchange requests on any given day where purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated may not be known by the Fund. While the Fund monitors for market timing activity, the Fund may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the Fund.
In addition, the Fund’s ability to monitor trades that are placed by individual shareholders within group, or omnibus, accounts maintained by financial intermediaries is severely limited because the Fund does not have access to the underlying shareholder account information. In this regard, in compliance with Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the
Fund has entered into Information Sharing Agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which these financial intermediaries are required to provide to the Fund, at the Fund’s request, certain customer and identity trading information relating to its customers investing in the Fund through non-disclosed or omnibus accounts. The Fund will use this information to attempt to identify abusive trading practices. Financial intermediaries are contractually required to follow any instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit future purchases from customers that are found to have engaged in abusive trading in violation of the Fund’s policies. However, the Fund cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided to them from financial intermediaries and cannot ensure that they will always be able to detect abusive trading practices that occur through non-disclosed and omnibus accounts. As a consequence, the Fund’s ability to monitor and discourage abusive trading practices in omnibus accounts may be limited.
Due to the complexity and subjectivity involved in identifying abusive trading activity and the volume of shareholder transactions the Fund handle, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s efforts will identify all trades or trading practices that may be considered abusive.
Shareholder Services
The Fund offers the following shareholder services. For more information about these services or your account, contact your financial intermediary or call 1-888-785-5578. Some services are described in more detail in the application.
Automatic Investment Plan
You may make regular monthly investments automatically in amounts of not less than $100 per month through the Automatic Investment Plan. This plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into the Fund. In order to participate in the plan, your financial institution must be a member of the ACH network. The Fund may modify or terminate this privilege at any time. If your bank rejects your payment, the Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Transfer Agent at 1-888-785-5578. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five days prior to the effective date.
Telephone Investment Plan
You may make investments into an existing account, on demand, in amounts of not less than $100 or more than $10,000 per investment, by calling 1-888-785-5578. If elected on your application, telephone orders will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the ACH network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), or the closing of the NYSE, whichever is earlier, shares will be purchased at the net asset value calculated on that day.
Systematic Cash Withdrawal Plan
If your account has a value of $10,000 or more, you may participate in the Systematic Cash Withdrawal Plan. Under this plan, you may elect to receive regular monthly or quarterly checks to your address of record, or credit directly to your predetermined bank account, in a stated amount of not less than $75. Shares will be redeemed as necessary to make those payments. To participate in the Systematic Cash Withdrawal Plan, you should elect to have dividends and capital gain distributions on your Fund shares reinvested.
Investments through Employee Benefit and Savings Plans
Certain qualified and non-qualified employee benefit and savings plans may make shares of the Fund available to their participants. The Adviser or the Fund may provide compensation to organizations providing administrative and record keeping services to those plans
Tax Sheltered Retirement Plans
Eligible investors may open a pension or profit-sharing account in the Fund under the following prototype retirement plans: (1) IRAs and Rollover IRAs and (2) Simplified Employee Pensions (“SEPs”) for sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations.
Householding
The Fund will automatically send updated prospectuses, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Fund Shareholders. In order to reduce the volume of mail, when possible, only one copy of each document will be sent to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call toll-free at 1-888-785-5578 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Fund receives notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.
Internet Account Access and Trading
This option allows you to access your account information online as well as execute transactions on your account. To choose this option, complete the appropriate section of your application. For Internet transactions, only bank accounts held at U.S. institutions which are ACH members may be used. Your shares will be purchased or redeemed at the next net asset value determined after receipt of your order.
Log on to the Fund’s website at www.alpinefunds.com to access your account and to create your PIN.
Distribution of Fund Shares
Distributor
Quasar Distributors, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, serves as distributor and principal underwriter to the Fund. Quasar Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.
Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan – Class A
The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
The Trusts, on behalf of Class A shares of the Fund, has adopted a Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act, to provide certain distribution and shareholder-servicing activities for the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund’s Class A shares may pay up to 0.25% per year of its average daily net assets for such distribution and shareholder-servicing activities. Rule 12b-1 fees finance distribution activities that promote the sale of the Fund’s shares. Distribution activities include, but are not necessarily limited to, advertising, printing and mailing prospectuses to persons other than current shareholders, printing and mailing sales literature, and compensating underwriters, dealers and sales personnel. Shareholder services may include among other things, assisting investors in processing their purchase, exchange, or redemption request, or processing dividend and distribution payments. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Sales Charge – Class A
You pay the offering price (the net asset value per share plus any initial sales charge) when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for waiver as described below. You pay a lower sales charge as the size of your investment increases. You do not pay a sales charge when you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions paid by the Fund. A portion or all of the sales charge may be retained by the Distributor or paid to your broker, dealer or other financial intermediary as a concession. The current sales charge rates and concessions paid are shown in the table below.
Amount Invested
|
% of Offering Price
|
% of Net Amount Invested
|
Dealer Concession
|
Less than $25,000
|
5.50%
|
5.82%
|
5.00%
|
$25,000 but less than $50,000
|
5.00%
|
5.26%
|
4.50%
|
$50,000 but less than $100,000
|
4.50%
|
4.71%
|
4.00%
|
$100,000 but less than $250,000
|
3.75%
|
3.90%
|
3.25%
|
$250,000 but less than $500,000
|
2.75%
|
2.83%
|
2.25%
|
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000
|
2.25%
|
2.30%
|
1.75%
|
$1,000,000 and over
|
None*
|
None*
|
1.00%*
|
* |
A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% will be applied if shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchasing Class A shares as part of an investment greater than $1,000,000 if no front-end sales charge was paid at the time of purchase and a concession was paid to the financial intermediary or dealer. |
Sales Charge Reduction or Waiver – Class A
There are several ways you can combine multiple purchases of Class A shares to reduce or eliminate the sales charge. In order to take advantage of reductions in sales charges that may be available to you when you purchase fund shares in an amount of $25,000 or more, you must inform your financial intermediary if you are eligible for a right of accumulation or a letter of intent. Failure to notify your financial intermediary may result in not receiving the sales charge reduction or elimination to which you are otherwise entitled. Certain records, such as account statements, may be necessary in order to verify your eligibility to reduce or eliminate the sales charge. If you hold fund shares in accounts at two or more financial intermediaries, please contact your financial intermediaries to determine which shares may be combined. For more information, see the SAI or contact your financial intermediary.
Additionally, the sales charge for Class A shares may be waived for the following persons or reasons:
|
● |
Employees of the Adviser or its affiliates and their immediate family, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
|
● |
Current and former Trustees of funds advised by the Adviser, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
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● |
The Adviser or its affiliates, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
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● |
An agent or broker of a dealer that has entered into a selling agreement with the Fund’s distributor for the agent or broker’s own account or an account of a relative of any such person, or an account for the benefit of any such person |
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Investors in employee retirement, stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plans |
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● |
Investment advisory clients of the Adviser or its affiliates |
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Registered Investment Advisers and clients of certain advisory programs |
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● |
Broker/Dealers and Registered Investment Advisers with clients participating in comprehensive fee programs |
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● |
Financial intermediaries that have entered into contractual agreements with the Fund’s distributor to offer shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers. |
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● |
Shares acquired when dividends or capital gains are reinvested in the Fund |
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● |
Shares offered to any other investment company to effect the combination of such company with the Fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise |
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● |
Purchases by shareholders of the Fund investing through self-directed brokerage service platforms
|
These waivers may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (“CDSC”) – Class A
There is no initial sales charge on Class A purchases of $1 million or more, but a CDSC may apply. You will pay a CDSC of 1.00% when you redeem within 12 months of purchasing Class A shares as part of an investment greater than $1,000,000 if no front-end sales charge was paid at the time of purchase and a concession was paid to the financial intermediary or dealer.
That CDSC will be calculated on the lesser of the net asset value of the redeemed shares or the aggregate net asset value of the redeemed shares at the time of redemption.
You do not pay a CDSC on shares reinvested from dividends or capital gain distributions paid by the Fund.
The CDSC may be waived for redemptions by shareholders investing through self-directed brokerage service platforms.
Right of Accumulation
The right of accumulation allows you to combine the current value of your holdings in Class A or Institutional Class shares of the Fund, based on the current offer price, with other qualifying shares that are owned by you, your spouse, your children under the age of 21, or a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account and with the dollar amount of your next purchase of Class A shares or Institutional Class shares, including any applicable sales charge, for purposes of determining whether or which level of sales charge applies. Qualifying shares may include shares held in accounts held at a financial intermediary. Class A shares or Institutional Class shares of the Fund in accounts held through 401(k) plans and similar multi-participant retirement plans, or those accounts which cannot be linked using tax identification numbers, social security numbers or broker identification numbers are not qualifying shares. The right of accumulation may be amended or terminated at any time.
Letter of Intent
If you plan to make an aggregate investment of $25,000 or more over a 13-month period, you may take advantage of breakpoints in sales charges for aggregate purchases of Class A shares by entering into a non-binding letter of intent. The initial investment must meet the minimum initial investment requirement. Generally, purchases of Class A shares of the Fund that are purchased during the 13-month period by you, your spouse, your children under the age of 21, or a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account are eligible for inclusion under the letter of intent. Qualifying shares may include shares held in accounts held at a financial intermediary. Class A shares of the Fund in accounts held through 401(k) plans and similar multi-participant retirement plans, or those accounts which cannot be linked using tax identification numbers, social security numbers or broker identification numbers are not qualifying shares. During the term of the letter of intent, the Fund will hold shares in an escrow account for payment of the higher sales load if the breakpoint amount is not purchased within 13 months. If you do not purchase the breakpoint amount of Class A shares within the 13-month period, the Fund will redeem the applicable sales charge on the Class A shares from the shares held in escrow. When a shareholder elects to participate in a letter of intent, the Class A shares purchased within a ninety day period prior to that election will be included in satisfying the aggregate investment requirement. The letter of intent may be amended or terminated at any time.
You may cancel a letter of intent by notifying your financial intermediary in writing. Complete liquidation of purchases made under a letter of intent prior to meeting the breakpoint investment amount, moreover, will result in the cancellation of the letter.
In the case of Fund whose shares are sold with a sales charge and where you meet the investment requirements under the letter of intent, the broker-dealer’s sales commissions and reallowance will be paid based upon a reduced sales charge. If you do not meet the investment requirements, you will be charged the difference between the sales charge that you paid and the sales charge that would apply to the actual value of shares you purchased. A certain portion of your shares will be held in escrow by the Fund’s Transfer Agent for this purpose.
Reinstatement Privilege
The reinstatement privilege permits shareholders to purchase shares without a sales charge within 120 days of redeeming shares of an equal or greater amount.
Additional Information
Revenue Sharing, Networking and Sub-Transfer Agency Fees
The Adviser may at its own expense make payments to some, but not all brokers, dealers or financial intermediaries for shareholder services, as an incentive to sell shares of the Fund and/or to promote retention of their customers’
assets in the Fund. These payments sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing,” do not change the price paid by investors to purchase the Fund’s shares or the amount the Fund receive as proceeds from such sales. Revenue sharing arrangements are separately negotiated.
The payments are made by the Adviser out of its profits and other available sources, including profits from their relationships with the Fund. These payments are not reflected as additional expenses in the fee table contained in this Prospectus. The total amount of these payments is substantial, may be substantial to any given recipient and may exceed the costs and expenses incurred by the recipient for any fund-related marketing or shareholder servicing activities.
Revenue sharing payments may be made to brokers, dealers and other financial intermediaries that provide services to the Fund or their shareholders including shareholder servicing, transaction processing, sub-accounting services, marketing support and/or access to representatives of the broker, dealer or other financial intermediaries. Revenue sharing payments also may be made to brokers, dealers and other financial intermediaries for inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list. To the extent that financial intermediaries receiving revenue sharing payments sell more shares of the Fund, the Adviser benefits from the increase in fund assets as a result of the fees the Adviser receives from the Fund.
Revenue sharing payments create an incentive for an intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend or sell shares of the fund to you. Contact your financial intermediary for details about revenue sharing payments it receives or may receive. Revenue sharing payments, as well as payments under the distribution and shareholder servicing plan (where applicable), also benefit the Adviser and other service providers to the extent the payments result in more assets being invested in the Fund on which fees are being charged.
The Fund may also enter into agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which the Fund will pay financial intermediaries for services such as networking, sub-transfer agency, administrative, recordkeeping and shareholder services. Administrative fees may be paid to a financial intermediary that undertakes, for example, shareholder communications on behalf of the Fund. Recordkeeping services may include maintenance of shareholder accounts by a financial intermediary. Networking services are services undertaken to support the electronic transmission of shareholder purchase and redemption orders through the National Securities Clearing Corporation. Payments made pursuant to such agreements are generally based on either (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund’s shareholders serviced by such financial intermediaries, or (2) the number of the Fund’s shareholders serviced by such financial intermediaries. Any payments made pursuant to such an agreement are in addition to, rather than in lieu of, distribution or shareholder services fees the financial intermediary may also be receiving pursuant to agreements with the Distributor. From time to time, the Adviser may pay a portion of the fees for these services at its own expense and out of its own profits.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
The following is a summary discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a shareholder of the Fund who acquires, holds and/or disposes of shares of the Fund, and reflects provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing Treasury Regulations, rulings published by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), and other applicable authority, as of the date of this prospectus. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund and the discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. For more detailed information regarding tax considerations, see the Fund’s SAI. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular investors. In addition, income earned through an investment in the Fund may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes.
Your distribution will be reinvested automatically in additional shares of the Fund in which you have invested, unless you have elected on your original application, or by written instructions filed with the Fund, to have them paid in cash. If you elect to receive dividends in cash and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your checks or if your checks remain uncashed for six months, your dividends may be reinvested in your account at the then-current net asset value. All future distributions will be automatically reinvested in the shares of the Fund. No interest will accrue on amounts represented by uncashed distribution checks.
Dividend Policy. It is the policy of the Fund to distribute to shareholders its investment company taxable income, if any, annually and any net realized capital gains annually or more frequently as required for qualification as a regulated
investment company by the Code. Dividends and distributions generally are taxable in the year paid, except any dividends paid in January that were declared in the previous calendar quarter, with a record date in such quarter, will be treated as paid in December of the previous year. You may elect to have dividends and/or capital gains paid in cash.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund intends to qualify to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. While so qualified, the Fund will not be required to pay any federal income tax on that portion of its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains it distributes to shareholders. The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on regulated investment companies, such as the Fund, to the extent they do not meet certain distribution requirements by the end of each calendar year. The Fund anticipates meeting these distribution requirements.
Taxation of Shareholders. The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Most shareholders normally will have to pay federal income tax and any state or local taxes on the dividends and distributions they receive from the Fund whether dividends and distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.
The Fund’s net investment income and short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income. Qualified dividend income and other capital gain distributions are taxable at long-term capital gain rates (15% for individuals with income below approximately $400,000 ($450,000 if married filing jointly), 20% for individuals with income at one of those amounts that is long-term capital gain, and 0% at certain income levels; the above income thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation), regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Distributions generally are taxable in the tax year in which they are declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.
Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between your tax basis in your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell your shares.
Following the end of each calendar year, every shareholder will be sent applicable tax information and information regarding the dividends paid and capital gain distributions made during the calendar year. The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, which would reduce its investment return. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these taxes. Shareholders who are subject to United States federal income tax may be entitled, subject to certain rules and limitations, to claim a federal income tax credit or deduction for foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. The Fund’s transactions in options, futures and forward contracts are subject to special tax rules. These rules can affect the amount, timing and characteristics of distributions to shareholders.
Taxable distributions and redemptions are subject to a 3.8% federal Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income” for individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly). “Net investment income” includes, among other things, interest, dividends and gross income and net gains derived from passive activities and trading securities.
Further, a 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on dividends and, beginning in 2017, will be imposed on redemption proceeds paid, to (i) certain foreign financial institutions and investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders, or (ii) in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder information. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply. Under some circumstances, a foreign shareholder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.
The Fund will report to the Internal Revenue Service the amount of sale proceeds that a shareholder receives from selling Fund shares. If a shareholder acquires shares on or after January 1, 2012 (or in some cases on or after January 1, 2011) and subsequently sells them, the Fund must also report the shareholder’s basis in those shares and the character of any gain or loss that the shareholder realizes on the sale (i.e., short-term or long-term). Generally speaking, a shareholder’s basis is the purchase price of the shares, adjusted by certain fees, distributions and other transactions. If a shareholder has a different basis for different shares of the Fund in the same account (e.g., if a shareholder purchased Fund shares in the same account when the shares were at different prices), that Fund will generally report the basis of the shares held the longest by the shareholder in that account unless the shareholder specifically identifies which shares were sold. The Fund may also use the “average basis” method, in which it reports the basis as an average of the shareholder’s total basis of Fund shares in any given account. A shareholder may elect to use this method as well, even if the Fund chooses a different default method. A shareholder who wishes to make such an election or who wishes to specifically identify shares that will be sold must do so in writing.
The foregoing briefly summarizes some of the important federal income tax consequences to shareholders of investing in the Fund’s shares, reflects the federal tax law as of the date of this prospectus, and does not address special tax rules applicable to certain types of investors, such as corporate, tax-exempt and foreign investors. Investors should consult their tax advisers regarding other federal, state or local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances, as well as any proposed tax law changes
Financial Highlights
The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, no financial information is available.
Notice of Privacy Policy
The Fund collects non-public information about you from the following sources:
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information we receive about you on applications or other forms; |
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information you give us orally; and |
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information about your transactions with others or us. |
The Fund does not disclose any non-public personal information about our customers or former customers without the customer’s authorization, except as required by law or in response to inquiries from governmental authorities. The Fund restricts access to your personal and account information to those employees who need to know that information to provide products and services to you. The Fund also may disclose that information to unaffiliated third parties (such as to brokers or custodians) only as permitted by law and only as needed for us to provide agreed services to you. The Fund maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to guard your non-public personal information.
In the event that you hold shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, including, but not limited to, a broker-dealer, bank, or trust company, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your non-public personal information would be shared with unaffiliated third parties.
THIS IS NOT PART OF THE PROSPECTUS
Additional Information
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or the Fund’s SAI in connection with the offerings made by the Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Fund or its Distributor. This Prospectus and the Fund’s SAI do not constitute offerings by the Fund or by the Distributor in any jurisdiction in which such offerings may not lawfully be made.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
ALPINE WOODS CAPITAL INVESTORS, LLC
2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215
Purchase, NY 10577-2540
CUSTODIAN, ADMINISTRATOR & FUND ACCOUNTANT
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
One Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02111
TRANSFER AGENT
BOSTON FINANCIAL DATA SERVICES, INC.
2000 Crown Colony Drive
Quincy, MA 02169
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
200 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
DISTRIBUTOR
QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
FUND COUNSEL
WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER LLP
787 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
To Obtain More Information About the Fund
For more information about the Fund, the following documents are available free upon request:
Shareholder reports — Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s first Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information — The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated by reference into (is legally a part of) this Prospectus.
To obtain free copies of the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports, when available, or the SAI or to discuss questions about the Fund:
By Telephone — 1-888-785-5578
By Mail — Alpine Funds, c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., PO Box 8061, Boston, MA 02266
By Website — www.alpinefunds.com
From the SEC — Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the IDEA database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission’s Public Reference Room, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
If someone makes a statement about the Fund that is not in this prospectus, you should not rely upon that information. Neither the Fund nor the distributor is offering to sell shares of the fund to any person to whom the Fund may not lawfully sell its shares.
Alpine Equity Trust - Investment Company Act File Number 811-05684.
40
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Subject to Completion, Dated October 28, 2015
Alpine Equity Trust
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Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund
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Institutional Class
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ARIGX
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Class A
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Alpine Funds
c/o Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.,
PO Box 8061
Boston, MA 02266
1-888-785-5578
This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) dated October 28, 2015 pertains to Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund (the “Global Realty Fund” or, the “Fund”). The Fund is a series of the Alpine Equity Trust (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus. It contains information in addition to and more detailed than that set forth in the Prospectus dated October 28, 2015 and is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the activities and operations of the Fund. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.
Additional information about the Fund’s investment objective will be available in the Fund’s first Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling the number listed above, by writing to the above address or by visiting the Fund’s website at www.alpinefunds.com. As the Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, no financial information is available.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HISTORY OF THE FUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION
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4
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INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISK FACTORS
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5
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
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28
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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
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30
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MANAGEMENT
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30
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INVESTMENT ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS
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36
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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
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38
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DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICING
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39
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SERVICE PROVIDERS
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40
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ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE
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40
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
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41
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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
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42
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TAX INFORMATION
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43
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NET ASSET VALUE
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48
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SHAREHOLDER ACCOUNTS
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50
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CODE OF ETHICS
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54
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PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
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54
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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55
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APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
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A-1
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HISTORY OF THE FUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION
The Global Realty Fund is a series of the Alpine Equity Trust. Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser of the Fund.
Alpine Equity Trust
The Global Realty Fund is a series of Alpine Equity Trust, a Massachusetts business trust organized in 1988. The Alpine Equity Trust has five series, including the Global Realty Fund, which are Alpine International Real Estate Equity Fund, Alpine Realty Income & Growth Fund, Alpine Emerging Markets Real Estate Fund, and Alpine Global Infrastructure Fund. The Global Realty Fund is a non-diversified, open-end management investment company.
The Alpine Equity Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”). The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with a $0.0001 par value. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote, to participate equally with other shares in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and on liquidation to their proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued and have no preemptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional shares have proportionally the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.
Under the Alpine Equity Trust’s Declaration of Trust, as amended (the “Declaration of Trust”), each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his or her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee upon a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of the Trust. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held, unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Declaration of Trust or the 1940 Act.
Procedures for calling a shareholders meeting for the removal of the Trustees of the Alpine Equity Trust, similar to those set forth in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, will be available to shareholders of the Fund. The rights of the holders of shares of the Fund may not be modified except by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of such series.
Shares have noncumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees if they choose to do so and in such event the holders of the remaining shares so voting will not be able to elect any Trustees.
The Trustees are authorized to classify and reclassify any issued class of shares of the Fund into shares of one or more classes of the Fund and to reclassify and issue any unissued shares to any number of additional series without shareholder approval. Accordingly, in the future, for reasons such as the desire to establish one or more additional portfolios of the Trust with different investment objectives, policies or restrictions, additional series or classes of shares may be created. Any issuance of shares of another series or class would be governed by the 1940 Act and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If shares of another series of the Alpine Equity Trust were issued in connection with the creation of additional investment portfolios, each share of the newly created portfolio would normally be entitled to one vote for all purposes. Generally, shares of all portfolios, including the Fund, would vote as a single series on matters, such as the election of Trustees, that affected all portfolios in substantially the same manner.
In addition the Trustees may, in the future, create additional classes of shares of the Fund. Except for the different distribution-related and other specific costs borne by such additional classes, they will have the same voting and other rights described for the existing classes of the Fund.
The Alpine Equity Trust has adopted a Multiple Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, which details the attributes of each class. Under the Declaration of Trust and the Multiple Class Plan adopted pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is permitted to offer multiple classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee and a sales charge (with certain transactions excepted). The Institutional Class shares are not subject to any sales charge or Rule 12b-1 fee.
Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a business trust may, in certain circumstances, be held personally liable for its obligations. The Alpine Equity Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that no shareholder will be personally liable for the obligations of the Trust and requires that every written contract made by the Trust contain a provision to that effect. If any shareholder were required to pay any liability of the Trust, that person would generally be entitled to reimbursement from the general assets of the Alpine Equity Trust.
INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISK FACTORS
The investment objectives and a description of the principal investment strategies of the Fund are set forth under the Fund’s Prospectus in the section titled “SUMMARY SECTION” and “MORE ON THE FUND’S INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, INVESTMENTS AND RISKS.” The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders .
The following provides additional information about these principal strategies and describes other investment strategies and practices that may be used by the Fund, which all involve risks of varying degrees.
Equity Securities
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common stocks, such as convertible bonds, warrants, rights and options. The value of equity securities varies in response to many factors, including the activities and financial condition of individual companies, the business market in which individual companies compete and general market and economic conditions. Equity securities fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be significant.
Convertible Securities
The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. The investment characteristics of each convertible security vary widely, which allows convertible securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies.
The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporation’s capital structure but are usually subordinated to comparable nonconvertible securities. Convertible securities may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument.
The characteristics of convertible securities make them potentially attractive investments for an investment company seeking a high total return from capital appreciation and investment income. These characteristics include the potential for capital appreciation as the value of the underlying common stock increases, the relatively high yield received from dividend or interest payments as compared to common stock dividends and decreased risks of decline in value relative to the underlying common stock due to their fixed income nature. As a result of the conversion feature, however, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in nonconvertible form.
Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in a charter provision, indenture or other governing instrument pursuant to which the convertible security was issued. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.
The Fund will exchange or convert convertible securities into shares of underlying common stock when, in the opinion of the Adviser, the investment characteristics of the underlying common shares will assist the Fund in achieving its investment objective. The Fund may also elect to hold or trade convertible securities. In selecting convertible securities, the Adviser evaluates the investment characteristics of the convertible security as a fixed income instrument, and the investment potential of the underlying equity security for capital appreciation. In evaluating these matters with respect to a particular convertible security, the Adviser considers numerous factors, including the economic and political outlook, the value of the security relative to other investment alternatives, trends in the determinants of the issuer’s profits, and the issuer’s management capability and practices.
Convertible securities are subject both to the stock market risk associated with equity securities and to the credit and interest rate risks associated with fixed income securities. As the market price of the equity security underlying a convertible security falls, the convertible security tends to trade on the basis of its yield and other fixed income characteristics. As the market price of such equity security rises, the convertible security tends to trade on the basis of its equity conversion features.
Preferred Stock
The Fund may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock pays dividends at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of an issuer’s assets but is junior to the debt securities of the issuer in those same respects. The market prices of preferred stocks are subject to changes in interest rates and are more sensitive to changes in an issuer’s creditworthiness than are the prices of debt securities. Shareholders of preferred stock may suffer a loss of value if dividends are not paid. Under ordinary circumstances, preferred stock does not carry voting rights. In addition, the Fund may receive stocks or warrants as result of an exchange or tender of fixed income securities.
Warrants
The Fund may invest in warrants. Warrants are options to purchase common stock at a specific price (usually at a premium above the market value of the optioned common stock at issuance) valid for a specific period of time. Warrants may have a life ranging from less than one year to twenty years, or they may be perpetual. However, most warrants have expiration dates after which they are worthless. In addition, a warrant is worthless if the market price of the common stock does not exceed the warrant’s exercise price during the life of the warrant. Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the warrant may tend to be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the optioned common stock.
Equity-Linked Securities
The Fund may invest in equity-linked securities, including, but not limited to, participation notes, and certificates of participation. Equity-linked securities are privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or “basket” of stocks, or a single stock. To the extent that the Fund invests in equity-linked securities whose return corresponds to the performance of a foreign security index or one or more foreign stocks, investing in equity-linked securities will involve risks similar to the risks of investing in foreign securities and subject to the Fund’s restrictions on investments in foreign securities. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty of an equity-linked security may default on its obligations under the security. If the underlying security is determined to be illiquid, the equity-linked security would also be considered illiquid and thus subject to the Fund’s restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.
Participation notes, also known as participation certificates, are issued by banks or broker-dealers and are designed to replicate the performance of foreign companies or foreign securities markets and can be used by the Fund as an alternative means to access the securities market of a country. The performance results of participation notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the foreign companies or foreign securities markets that they seek to replicate due to transaction and other expenses. Investments in participation notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying foreign companies or foreign securities markets that they seek to replicate. There can be no assurance that the trading price of participation notes will equal the underlying value of the foreign companies or foreign securities markets that they seek to replicate. Participation notes are generally traded over-the-counter. Participation notes are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the broker-dealer or bank that issues them will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with the Fund. Participation notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them, the counterparty, and the Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such counterparty and has no rights under a participation note against the issuer of the underlying security. Participation notes involve transaction cost. If the underlying security is determined to be illiquid, participation notes may be illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitation for investments in illiquid securities. Participation notes offer a return linked to a particular underlying equity, debt or currency.
Foreign Securities
The Fund may purchase securities of non-U.S. issuers and securities of U.S. issuers that trade in foreign markets (“foreign securities”). To the extent that foreign securities purchased by the Fund are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect: the Fund’s net asset values per share; the value of any interest earned; gains and losses realized on the sale of securities; and net investment income and capital gains, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by the Fund. If the value of a foreign currency rises against the U.S. dollar, the value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency will increase.
Correspondingly, if the value of a foreign currency declines against the U.S. dollar, the value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency will decrease. The performance of the Fund will be measured in U.S. dollars, the base currency for the Fund. When the Fund converts its holdings to another currency, it may incur conversion costs. Foreign exchange dealers realize a profit on the difference between the prices at which such dealers buy and sell currencies.
The Fund may engage in transactions in foreign securities, which are listed on foreign securities exchanges, traded in the over-the-counter market or issued in private placements. Transactions in listed securities may be effected in the over-the-counter markets if, in the opinion of the Adviser, this affords the Fund the ability to obtain best price and execution.
Securities markets of foreign countries in which the Fund may invest are generally not subject to the same degree of regulation as the U.S. markets and may be more volatile and less liquid than the major U.S. markets. The differences between investing in foreign and U.S. companies include: (1) less publicly available information about foreign companies; (2) the lack of uniform financial accounting standards and practices among countries which could impair the validity of direct comparisons of valuations measures (such as price/earnings ratios) for securities in different countries; (3) less readily available market quotations for the securities of foreign issuers; (4) differences in government regulation and supervision of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, listed companies, and banks; (5) differences in legal systems which may affect the ability to enforce contractual obligations or obtain court judgments; (6) generally lower foreign stock market volume; (7) the likelihood that foreign securities may be less liquid or more volatile, which may affect the ability of the Fund to purchase or sell large blocks of securities and thus obtain the best price; (8) transactions costs, including brokerage charges and custodian charges associated with holding foreign securities, may be higher; (9) the settlement period for foreign securities, which are sometimes longer than those for securities of U.S. issuers, may affect portfolio liquidity; (10) foreign securities held by the Fund may be traded on days that the Fund does not value its portfolio securities, such as Saturdays and customary business holidays, and accordingly, net asset value per share may be significantly affected on days when shareholders do not have the ability to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund; and (11) political and social instability, expropriation, and political or financial changes which adversely affect investment in some countries. These various risks may be greater in emerging market countries.
American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted, but rather in the currency of the market in which they are traded. ADRs are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs are receipts issued in Europe by banks or depositories that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Generally ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted.
Emerging Market Issuers
The Fund may invest in the equity securities of issuers located in emerging market countries. Unless otherwise set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus or in this SAI, an “emerging market” country is any country that is considered to be an emerging or developing country by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”). Emerging market countries generally include every nation in the world except the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most countries located in Western Europe.
The risks of investing in securities in emerging countries include: (i) less social, political and economic stability; (ii) the smaller size of the markets for such securities and lower volume of trading, which result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies that may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation; and (v) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property.
Certain emerging markets have experienced periods of political and social change, and shifts in government policy, which have heightened instability. Such governments could be more likely to pursue actions that might have negative consequences for private enterprise and the flow of foreign investment relative to more developed countries. Specific measures could include expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation or adverse diplomatic developments. Historically there have been instances of governments expropriating private property, and settling the claims of such property owners can be an extended process. There is no assurance that such expropriations would not occur in the future and if this ever were to happen, it is possible that the Fund could lose some or all of the value of its investments in the affected market. Certain countries have higher relative levels of corruption and crime that may increase the volatility of investments. As popular uprising and protests in certain emerging markets continue to take hold there may also exist elevated risks of internal or external crises, including ethnic, religious and racial conflicts that could ultimately escalate into war.
Settlement mechanisms in emerging market securities may be less efficient and reliable than in more developed markets. In such emerging securities markets there may be delays and failures in share registration and delivery.
Investing in emerging markets involves risks relating to potential political and economic instability within such markets and the risks of expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property, the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and the repatriation of capital invested.
Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, very negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging markets. Economies in emerging markets generally are heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be affected adversely by economic conditions, trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade.
While some emerging market countries have sought to develop a number of corrective mechanisms to reduce inflation or mitigate its effects, inflation may continue to have significant effects both on emerging market economies and their securities markets. In addition, many of the currencies of emerging market countries have experienced steady devaluations relative to the U.S. dollar and major devaluations have occurred in certain countries.
Because of the high levels of foreign-denominated debt owed by many emerging market countries, fluctuating exchange rates can significantly affect the debt service obligations of those countries. This could, in turn, affect local interest rates, profit margins and exports, which are a major source of foreign exchange earnings.
The risk also exists that an emergency situation may arise in one or more emerging markets as a result of which trading of securities may cease or may be substantially curtailed and prices for the Fund’s portfolio securities in such markets may not be readily available. Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act permits a registered investment company to suspend redemption of its shares for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC. Accordingly, if the Fund believes that appropriate circumstances warrant, it will promptly apply to the SEC for a determination that an emergency exists within the meaning of Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act. During the period commencing from the Fund’s identification of such conditions until the date of SEC action, in the absence of a market price or the occurrence of events after a foreign exchange closes, the portfolio securities in the affected markets will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Board. (See “Net Asset Value” below).
Although it might be theoretically possible to hedge for anticipated income and gains, the ongoing and indeterminate nature of the risks associated with emerging market investing (and the costs associated with hedging transactions) makes it very difficult to hedge effectively against such risks.
Europe-Recent Events
A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within and without Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro, the common currency of the European Union, and/or withdraw from the European Union. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching. Whether or not the fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the fund’s investments.
Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of IPOs (subject to the Adviser’s discretionary policy based on investments in the Fund by principals of the Adviser). An IPO is a corporation’s first offering of common stock to the public. IPOs may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund with a small asset base. IPO shares frequently are volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the portfolio turnover rate of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, IPO shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.
Secondary Offerings
The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares secondary offerings. A secondary offering is a registered offering of a large block of a security that has been previously issued to the public. A secondary offering can occur when an investor sells to the public a large block of stock or other securities it has been holding in its portfolio. In a sale of this kind, all of the profits go to the seller rather than the issuer. Secondary offerings can also originate when the issuer issues new shares of its stock over and above those sold in its IPO, usually in order to raise additional capital. However, because an increase in the number of shares devalues those that have already been issued, many companies make a secondary offering only if their stock prices are high or they are in need of capital. Secondary offerings may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund with a small asset base. Secondary offering shares frequently are volatile in price. Therefore, the Fund may hold secondary offering shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the portfolio turnover rate of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, secondary offering shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
The Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate, or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Debt securities issued by REITs, for the most part, are general and unsecured obligations and are subject to risks associated with REITs.
Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. An equity REIT may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT. A mortgage REIT may be affected by changes in interest rates and the ability of the issuers of its portfolio mortgages to repay their obligations. REITs are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are not diversified. REITs are generally dependent upon maintaining cash flows to repay borrowings and to make distributions to shareholders and are subject to the risk of default by lessees or borrowers. REITs whose underlying assets are concentrated in properties used by a particular industry, such as health care, are also subject to industry related risks.
REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. If the REIT invests in adjustable rate mortgage loans the interest rates on which are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates. This causes the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, REITs have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in S&P 500 Index.
Real Estate Securities Risks — The value of the shares of the Fund will be affected by factors affecting the value of real estate and the earnings of companies engaged in the real estate industry. These factors include, among others: (i) changes in general economic and market conditions; (ii) changes in the value of real estate properties; (iii) risks related to local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) changes in zoning laws; (vi) casualty and condemnation losses; (vii) variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of property to tenants; and (viii) changes in interest rates. Many real estate companies utilize leverage, which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. The value of securities of companies in the real estate industry may go through cycles of relative under performance and out performance in comparison to equity securities markets in general.
There are also special risks associated with particular sectors of real estate investments:
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Retail Properties. Retail properties are affected by the overall health of the economy and may be adversely affected by, among other things, the growth of alternative forms of retailing, bankruptcy, departure or cessation of operations of a tenant, a shift in consumer demand due to demographic changes, changes in spending patterns and lease terminations. |
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Office Properties. Office properties are affected by the overall health of the economy, and other factors such as a downturn in the businesses operated by their tenants, obsolescence and non-competitiveness. |
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Hotel Properties. The risks of hotel properties include, among other things, the necessity of a high level of continuing capital expenditures, competition, increases in operating costs which may not be offset by increases in revenues, dependence on business and commercial travelers and tourism, increases in fuel costs and other expenses of travel, and adverse effects of general and local economic conditions. Hotel properties tend to be more sensitive to adverse economic conditions and competition than many other commercial properties. |
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Healthcare Properties. Healthcare properties and healthcare providers are affected by several significant factors, including federal, state and local laws governing licenses, certification, adequacy of care, pharmaceutical distribution, rates, equipment, personnel and other factors regarding operations, continued availability of revenue from government reimbursement programs and competition on a local and regional basis. The failure of any healthcare operator to comply with governmental laws and regulations may affect its ability to operate its facility or receive government reimbursements. |
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Multifamily Properties. The value and successful operation of a multifamily property may be affected by a number of factors such as the location of the property, the ability of the management team, the level of mortgage rates, the presence of competing properties, adverse economic conditions in the locale, oversupply and rent control laws or other laws affecting such properties. |
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Community Centers. Community center properties are dependent upon the successful operations and financial condition of their tenants, particularly certain of their major tenants, and could be adversely affected by bankruptcy of those tenants. In some cases a tenant may lease a significant portion of the space in one center, and the filing of bankruptcy could cause significant revenue loss. Like others in the commercial real estate industry, community centers are subject to environmental risks and interest rate risk. They also face the need to enter into new leases or renew leases on favorable terms to generate rental revenues. Community center properties could be adversely affected by changes in the local markets where their properties are located, as well as by adverse changes in national economic and market conditions. |
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Self-Storage Properties. The value and successful operation of a self-storage property may be affected by a number of factors, such as the ability of the management team, the location of the property, the presence of competing properties, changes in traffic patterns and effects of general and local economic conditions with respect to rental rates and occupancy levels. |
Other factors may contribute to the risk of real estate investments:
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Development Issues. Certain real estate companies may engage in the development or construction of real estate properties. These companies in which the Fund invests (“portfolio companies”) are exposed to a variety of risks inherent in real estate development and construction, such as the risk that there will be insufficient tenant demand to occupy newly developed properties, and the risk that prices of construction materials or construction labor may rise materially during the development. |
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Lack of Insurance. Certain of the portfolio companies may fail to carry comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake extended coverage and rental loss insurance, or insurance in place may be subject to various policy specifications, limits and deductibles. Should any type of uninsured loss occur, the portfolio company could lose its investment in, and anticipated profits and cash flows from, a number of properties and, as a result, adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance. |
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Financial Leverage. Global real estate companies may be highly leveraged and financial covenants may affect the ability of global real estate companies to operate effectively. |
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Environmental Issues. In connection with the ownership (direct or indirect), operation, management and development of real properties that may contain hazardous or toxic substances, a portfolio company may be considered an owner, operator or responsible party of such properties and, therefore, may be potentially liable for removal or remediation costs, as well as certain other costs, including governmental fines and liabilities for injuries to persons and property. The existence of any such material environmental liability could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations and cash flow of any such portfolio company and, as a result, the amount available to make distributions on shares of the Fund could be reduced. |
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Recent Events. The value of real estate is particularly susceptible to acts of terrorism and other changes in foreign and domestic conditions. |
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REIT Issues. REITs are subject to a highly technical and complex set of provisions in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). It is possible that the Fund may invest in a real estate company which purports to be a REIT but which fails to qualify as a REIT. In the event of any such unexpected failure to qualify as a REIT, the purported REIT would be subject to corporate level taxation, significantly reducing the return to the Fund on its investment in such company. See “REIT Risks” below. |
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Financing Issues. Financial institutions in which the Fund may invest are subject to extensive government regulation. This regulation may limit both the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments a financial institution can make, and the interest rates and fees it can charge. In addition, interest and investment rates are highly sensitive and are determined by many factors beyond a financial institution’s control, including general and local economic conditions (such as inflation, recession, money supply and unemployment) and the monetary and fiscal policies of various governmental agencies such as the Federal Reserve Board. These limitations may have a significant impact on the profitability of a financial institution since profitability is attributable, at least in part, to the institution’s ability to make financial commitments such as loans. Profitability of a financial institution is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of the institution’s funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. |
Other Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in the securities of other registered, open-end investment companies that have investment objectives and policies similar to its own. The Fund may also purchase shares of money market funds that invest in U.S. Government Securities and repurchase agreements, in lieu of purchasing money market instruments directly. Any investment by the Fund in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds, will be subject to the limitations on such investments set forth in the 1940 Act. Shareholders of a Fund that holds shares of another investment company will indirectly bear the fees and expenses of that company, which will be in addition to the fees and expenses they bear as shareholders of the Fund.
The Fund may purchase the equity securities of closed-end investment companies to facilitate investment in certain countries. Equity securities of closed-end investment companies generally trade at a discount to their net asset value, but may also trade at a premium to net asset value. The Fund may pay a premium to invest in a closed-end investment company in circumstances where the Adviser determines that the potential for capital growth justifies the payment of a premium. Closed-end investment companies, as well as money market funds, pay investment advisory and other fees and incur various expenses in connection with their operations. Shareholders of the Fund will indirectly bear these fees and expenses, which will be in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund.
Debt and Fixed Income Securities
The Fund may invest in bonds and other types of debt obligations of U.S. and foreign issuers. These securities, whether of U.S. or foreign issuers, may pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest, and may include zero coupon obligations, which do not pay interest until maturity. Fixed income securities may include:
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bonds, notes and debentures issued by corporations; |
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debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities (“U.S. Government Securities”); |
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mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities; or |
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debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign corporations and foreign governments, their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, or by government owned, controlled or sponsored entities, including central banks. |
Subject to certain limitations, the Fund may invest in both investment grade and non-investment grade debt securities. Investment grade debt securities have received a rating from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) in one of the four highest rating categories or, if not rated, have been determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality to such rated securities. Non-investment grade debt securities (typically called “junk bonds”) have received a rating from S&P or Moody’s of below investment grade, or have been given no rating and are determined by the Adviser to be of a quality below investment grade.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in non-investment grade debt securities. However, the Fund may not invest in debt securities rated below Ccc by S&P or Caa by Moody’s (or unrated debt securities determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser). The Fund has no restrictions with respect to the maturities or duration of the debt securities it holds.
Debt securities represent money borrowed that obligates the issuer (e.g., a corporation, municipality, government, or government agency) to repay the borrowed amount at maturity (when the obligation is due and payable) and usually to pay the holder interest at specific times. These securities share three principal risks: First, the level of interest income generated by the Fund’s fixed income investments may decline due to a decrease in market interest rates. When fixed income securities mature or are sold, they may be replaced by lower-yielding investments. Second, their values fluctuate with changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an increase in the value of the Fund’s fixed income investments. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of the Fund’s fixed income investments will generally decline. However, a change in interest rates will not have the same impact on all fixed rate securities. For example, the magnitude of these fluctuations will generally be greater for a security whose duration or maturity is longer. Changes in the value of portfolio securities will not affect interest income from those securities, but will be reflected in the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). The Fund’s investments in fixed income securities with longer terms to maturity or greater duration are subject to greater volatility than the Fund’s shorter-term securities. The volatility of a security’s market value will differ depending upon the security’s duration, the issuer and the type of instrument. Third, certain fixed income securities are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that an issuer of securities will be unable to pay principal and interest when due, or that the value of the security will suffer because investors believe the issuer is unable to pay.
In addition, fixed income securities may be subject to both call risk and extension risk. Call risk exists when the issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation earlier than scheduled, which would cause cash flows to be returned earlier than expected. This typically results when interest rates have declined and the fund will suffer from
having to reinvest in lower yielding securities. Extension risk exists when the issuer may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation later than scheduled, which would cause cash flows to be returned later than expected. This typically results when interest rates have increased, and the fund will suffer from the inability to invest in higher yield securities.
U.S. Government Securities
The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. U.S. government securities include (1) U.S. Treasury bills (maturity of one year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturity of one to ten years) and U.S. Treasury bonds (maturities generally greater than ten years) and (2) obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities which are supported by any of the following: (a) the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (such as GNMA certificates); (b) the right of the issuer to borrow an amount limited to specific line of credit from the U.S. government (such as obligations of the Federal Home Loan Banks); (c) the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of agencies or instrumentalities (such as securities issued by Fannie Mae); or (d) only the credit of the instrumentality (such as securities issued by Freddie Mac). In the case of obligations not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Fund must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments. Neither the U.S. government nor any of its agencies or instrumentalities guarantees the market value of the securities they issue. Therefore, the market value of such securities will fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates.
Zero Coupon, Discount and Payment-in-kind Securities.
The Fund may also invest in zero coupon U.S. Treasury securities and in zero coupon securities issued by financial institutions, which represent a proportionate interest in underlying U.S. Treasury securities. A zero coupon bond is a security that makes no fixed interest payments but instead is sold at a discount from its face value. The bond is redeemed at its face value on the specified maturity date. Zero coupon bonds may be issued as such, or they may be created by a broker who strips the coupons from a bond and separately sells the rights to receive principal and interest. The prices of zero coupon bonds tend to fluctuate more in response to changes in market interest rates than do the prices of interest-paying debt securities with similar maturities. A Fund investing in zero coupon bonds generally accrues income on such securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. Since the Fund must distribute substantially all of its income to shareholders to qualify as a regulated investment company under federal income tax law, to the extent that the Fund invests in zero coupon bonds, it may have to dispose of other securities, including at times when it may be disadvantageous to do so, to generate the cash necessary for the distribution of income attributable to its zero coupon bonds. The market values of zero coupon securities generally are more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically.
Payment-in-kind securities allow the lender, at its option, to make current interest payments on such securities either in cash or in additional securities. Accordingly, such securities usually are issued and traded at a deep discount from their face or par value and generally are subject to greater fluctuations of market value in response to changing interest rates than securities of comparable maturities and credit quality that pay cash interest (or dividends in the case of preferred stock) on a current basis.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or issued by private issuers. The mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest include collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”).
CMOs are debt instruments issued by special purpose entities and secured by mortgages or other mortgage-backed securities, which provide by their terms for aggregate payments of principal and interest based on the payments made on the underlying mortgages or securities. CMOs are typically issued in separate classes with varying coupons and stated maturities. REMIC interests are mortgage-backed securities as to which the issuers have qualified to be treated as real estate mortgage investment conduits under the Code and have the same characteristics as CMOs.
The Fund may from time to time also invest in “stripped” mortgage-backed securities. These are securities that operate like CMOs but entitle the holder to disproportionate interests with respect to the allocation of interest or principal on the underlying mortgages or securities. A stripped mortgage-backed security is created by the issuer separating the interest and principal on a mortgage pool to form two or more independently traded securities. The result is the creation of classes of discount securities which can be structured to produce faster or slower prepayment expectations based upon the particular underlying mortgage interest rate payments assigned to each class. These obligations exhibit risk characteristics similar to mortgage-backed securities generally and zero coupon securities. Due to existing market characteristics, “interest only” and “principal only” mortgage-backed securities are considered to be illiquid. The prices of these securities are more volatile than the prices of debt securities, which make periodic payments of interest.
Because the mortgages underlying mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment at any time, most mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risk of prepayment in an amount differing from that anticipated at the time of issuance. Prepayments generally are passed through to the holders of the securities. Any such prepayments received by the Fund must be reinvested in other securities. As a result, prepayments in excess of that anticipated could adversely affect yield to the extent such amounts are reinvested in instruments with a lower interest rate than that of the original security. Prepayments on a pool of mortgages are influenced by a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors. Generally, however, prepayments will increase during a period of falling interest rates and decrease during a period of rising interest rates. Accordingly, amounts required to be reinvested are likely to be greater (and the potential for capital appreciation less) during a period of declining interest rates than during a period of rising interest rates. Mortgage-backed securities may be purchased at a premium over the principal or face value in order to obtain higher income. The recovery of any premium that may have been paid for a given security is solely a function of the ability to liquidate such security at or above the purchase price.
Mortgage-backed securities may also be affected by the downturn in the mortgage lending and housing markets in the United States.
Asset-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities issued by private issuers. Asset-backed securities represent interests in pools of consumer loans (generally unrelated to mortgage loans) and most often are structured as pass-through securities. Interest and principal payments ultimately depend on payment of the underlying loans by individuals, although the securities may be supported by letters of credit or other credit enhancements. The value of asset-backed securities may also depend on the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans, or the financial institution providing the credit enhancement.
Asset-backed securities may be “stripped” into classes in a manner similar to that described under the section titled, “Mortgage-Backed Securities,” above, and are subject to the prepayment risks described therein.
Sovereign Debt Obligations
The Fund may purchase sovereign debt instruments issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies, including debt of developing countries. These sovereign debt securities may include: debt securities issued or guaranteed by governments, governmental agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions located in emerging market countries; debt securities issued by government owned, controlled or sponsored entities located in emerging market countries; interests in entities organized and operated for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of instruments issued by any of the above issuers; Brady Bonds, which are debt securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan as a means for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external indebtedness; participations in loans between emerging market governments and financial institutions; or debt securities issued by supranational entities such as the World Bank or the European Economic Community. A supranational entity is a bank, commission or company established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction or development.
Sovereign debt is subject to risks in addition to those relating to non-U.S. investments generally. As a sovereign entity, the issuing government may be immune from lawsuits in the event of its failure or refusal to pay the obligations when due. The debtor’s willingness or ability to repay in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which the sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on disbursements or assistance from foreign governments or multinational agencies, the country’s access to trade and other international credits, and the country’s balance of trade. Assistance may be dependent on a country’s implementation of austerity measures and reforms, which measures may limit or be perceived to limit economic growth and recovery. Some sovereign debtors have rescheduled their debt payments, declared moratoria on payments or restructured their debt to effectively eliminate portions of it, and similar occurrences may happen in the future. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.
Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments
The Fund may purchase interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to another party. These interests may represent amounts owed to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve the risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the fund in the event of fraud or misrepresentation. In addition, loan participations involve a risk of insolvency of the lending bank or other financial intermediary. Direct debt instruments may also include standby financing commitments that obligate the fund to supply additional cash to the borrower on demand.
Floating and Variable Rate Income Securities
The Fund may invest in floating and variable rate income securities. Income securities may provide for floating or variable rate interest or dividend payments. The floating or variable rate may be determined by reference to a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate, a certificate of deposit (“CDs”) rate or the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Alternatively, the rate may be determined through an auction or remarketing process. The rate also may be indexed to changes in the values of interest rate or securities indexes, currency exchange rates or other
commodities. The amount by which the rate paid on an income security may increase or decrease may be subject to periodic or lifetime caps. Floating and variable rate income securities include securities whose rates vary inversely with changes in market rates of interest. Such securities may also pay a rate of interest determined by applying a multiple to the variable rate. The extent of increases and decreases in the value of securities whose rates vary inversely with changes in market rates of interest generally will be larger than comparable changes in the value of an equal principal amount of a fixed rate security having similar credit quality, redemption provisions and maturity. Such securities include variable rate master demand notes.
Recent Market Events
The global financial crisis that began in 2008 has caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities and unprecedented volatility in the markets. Some events that have contributed to ongoing and systemic market risks include: the falling values of some sovereign debt and related investments, scarcity of credit and high public debt. In response to the crisis, the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain foreign governments and their central banks took steps to support financial markets, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels. More recently, the Federal Reserve has reduced its market support activities. Further reduction or withdrawal of this support, failure of efforts in response to the crisis, or investor perception that such efforts are not succeeding could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as result in higher interest rates, increase market volatility and reduce the value and liquidity of certain securities.
This environment could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Adviser, and whether or not the fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to countries experiencing economic and financial difficulties, the value and liquidity of the fund’s investments may be negatively affected. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are affecting many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Currency Risks
Exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies are a function of such factors as supply and demand in the currency exchange markets, international balances of payments, governmental intervention, speculation and other economic and political conditions. Although the Fund values its assets daily in U.S. dollars, the Fund generally does not convert its holdings to U.S. dollars or any other currency. Foreign exchange dealers may realize a profit on the difference between the price at which the Fund buys and sells currencies.
The Fund will engage in foreign currency exchange transactions in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or through forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies.
Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
The Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against possible losses on foreign investments resulting from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days (usually less than one year) from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has a deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the price at which they are buying and selling various currencies. However, forward foreign currency exchange contracts may limit potential gains which could result from a positive change in such currency relationships. The Fund does not speculate in foreign currency.
Except for cross-hedges, the Fund will not enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts or maintain a net exposure in such contracts when it would be obligated to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of its portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency or, in the case of a “cross-hedge,” denominated in a currency or currencies that the Adviser believes will tend to be closely correlated with that currency with regard to price movements. At the consummation of a forward contract, the Fund may either make delivery of the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an offsetting contract obligating it to purchase, at the same maturity date, the same amount of such foreign currency. If the Fund chooses to make delivery of the foreign currency, it may be required to obtain such currency through the sale of portfolio securities denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Fund into such currency. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will incur a gain or loss to the extent that there has been a change in forward contract prices.
It should be realized that this method of protecting the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. Additionally, although such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, at the same time they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currency increase. Generally, the Fund will not enter into a forward foreign currency exchange contract with a term longer than one year.
Foreign Currency Options
The Fund may purchase and write options on foreign currencies to protect against declines in the U.S. dollar value of foreign securities or in the U.S. dollar value of dividends or interest expected to be received on these securities. These transactions may also be used to protect against increases in the U.S. dollar cost of foreign securities to be acquired by the Fund. Writing an option on foreign currency is only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby
incurring losses. The Fund may not purchase a foreign currency option if, as a result, premiums paid on foreign currency options then held by the Fund would represent more than 5% of the Fund’s net assets.
A foreign currency option provides the option buyer with the right to buy or sell a stated amount of foreign currency at the exercise price on a specified date or during the option period. The owner of a call option has the right, but not the obligation, to buy the currency. Conversely, the owner of a put option has the right, but not the obligation, to sell the currency. When the option is exercised, the seller (i.e., writer) of the option is obligated to fulfill the terms of the sold option. However, either the seller or the buyer may, in the secondary market, close its position during the option period at any time prior to expiration.
A call option on a foreign currency generally rises in value if the underlying currency appreciates in value, and a put option on a foreign currency generally rises in value if the underlying currency depreciates in value. Although purchasing a foreign currency option can protect the Fund against an adverse movement in the value of a foreign currency, the option will not limit the movement in the value of such currency. For example, if the Fund was holding securities denominated in a foreign currency that was appreciating and had purchased a foreign currency put to hedge against a decline in the value of the currency, the Fund would not have to exercise its put option. Likewise, if the Fund were to enter into a contract to purchase a security denominated in foreign currency and, in conjunction with that purchase, were to purchase a foreign currency call option to hedge against a rise in value of the currency, and if the value of the currency instead depreciated between the date of purchase and the settlement date, the Fund would not have to exercise its call. Instead, the Fund could acquire in the spot market the amount of foreign currency needed for settlement.
Special Risks Associated with Foreign Currency Options
Buyers and sellers of foreign currency options are subject to the same risks that apply to options generally. In addition, there are certain additional risks associated with foreign currency options. The markets in foreign currency options are relatively new, and the Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market. Although the Fund will not purchase or write such options unless and until, in the opinion of the Adviser, the market for them has developed sufficiently to ensure that the risks in connection with such options are not greater than the risks in connection with the underlying currency, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. In addition, options on foreign currencies are affected by most of the same factors that influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally.
The value of a foreign currency option depends upon the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar. As a result, the price of the option position may vary with changes in the value of either or both currencies and may have no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.
There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Available quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect relatively smaller transactions (i.e., less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that the U.S. option markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets until they reopen.
Foreign Currency Futures Transactions
By using foreign currency futures contracts and options on such contracts, the Fund may be able to achieve many of the same objectives as it would through the use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts. The Fund may be able to achieve these objectives possibly more effectively and at a lower cost by using futures transactions instead of forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
A foreign currency futures contract sale creates an obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver the amount of currency called for in the contract at a specified future time for a specified price. A currency futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the Fund, as purchaser, to take delivery of an amount of currency at a specified future time at a specified price. Although the terms of currency futures contracts specify actual delivery or receipt, in most instances the contracts are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery of the currency. Closing out of currency futures contracts is effected by entering into an offsetting purchase or sale transaction. An offsetting transaction for a currency futures contract sale is effected by the Fund entering into a currency futures contract purchase for the same aggregate amount of currency and same delivery date. If the price of the sale exceeds the price of the offsetting purchase, the Fund is immediately paid the difference and realizes a loss. Similarly, the closing out of a currency futures contract purchase is effected by the Fund entering into a currency futures contract sale. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain, and if the offsetting sale price is less than the purchase price, the Fund realizes a loss.
Special Risks Associated with Foreign Currency Futures Contracts and Related Options
Buyers and sellers of foreign currency futures contracts are subject to the same risks that apply to the use of futures generally. In addition, there are risks associated with foreign currency futures contracts and their use as a hedging device similar to those associated with options on foreign currencies, as described above.
Options on foreign currency futures contracts may involve certain additional risks. Trading options on foreign currency futures contracts is relatively new. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market. To reduce this risk, the Fund will not purchase or write options on foreign currency futures contracts unless and until, in the opinion of the Adviser, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risks in connection with such options are not greater than the risks in connection with transactions in the underlying foreign currency futures contracts. Compared to the purchase or sale of foreign currency futures contracts, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to the Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the option (plus transaction costs). However, there may be circumstances when the purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss, such as when there is no movement in the price of the underlying currency or futures contract.
Illiquid Securities
The term “illiquid securities” means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities and includes, among other things, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, term deposits maturing in more than seven days, restricted securities (other than Rule 144A discussed below), privately issued interest-only and principal-only stripped asset- backed securities, over-the counter options and the assets used to cover written over-the-counter options, and municipal lease obligations (including certificates of participation) other than those the Adviser has determined are liquid pursuant to guidelines established by the Board. The Fund may not be able to readily liquidate its investments in illiquid securities and may have to sell other investments if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. The lack of a liquid secondary market for illiquid securities may make it more difficult for the Fund to assign a value to those securities for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its net asset value.
Restricted securities are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and may be sold only in privately negotiated or other exempted transactions or after a registration statement under the Securities Act has become effective. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to sell.
Not all restricted securities are illiquid. A large institutional market has developed for many U.S. and non-U.S. securities that are not registered under the Securities Act. Institutional investors generally will not seek to sell these instruments to the general public, but instead will often depend either on an efficient institutional market in which such unregistered securities can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment. Therefore, the fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or certain institutions is not dispositive of the liquidity of such investments.
Institutional markets for restricted securities also have developed as a result of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, which establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resale of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. These markets include automated systems for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, such as the PORTAL System sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. An insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A-eligible restricted securities held by the Fund, however, could affect adversely the marketability of such portfolio securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at favorable prices.
The Board has delegated the function of making day-to-day determinations of liquidity to the Adviser pursuant to guidelines approved by the Board. The Adviser takes into account a number of factors in reaching liquidity decisions, which may include (1) the frequency of trades for the security, (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase and sell the security and the number of potential purchasers; (3) the number of dealers who undertake to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and how trading is effected (e.g., the time needed to sell the security, how bids are solicited and the mechanics of transfer). In some cases, the Adviser may determine presumptively illiquid securities to be liquid in accordance with SEC and Board guidelines. The Adviser monitors the liquidity of restricted securities in the Fund’s portfolio and reports periodically on such decisions to the Board.
The Adviser also monitors the Fund’s overall holdings of illiquid securities. If the Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities exceed its limitation on investments in illiquid securities for any reason (such as a particular security becoming illiquid, changes in the relative market values of liquid and illiquid portfolio securities or shareholder redemptions), the Adviser will consider what action would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Such action may include engaging in an orderly disposition of securities to reduce the Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities. However, the Fund is not required to dispose of illiquid securities under these circumstances.
When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities
These transactions are made to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or yield for the Fund. No fees or other expenses, other than normal transaction costs, are incurred. However, liquid assets of the Fund sufficient to make payment for the securities to be purchased are segregated on the Fund’s records at the trade date. These assets are marked to market and are maintained until the transaction has been settled.
The when-issued securities are subject to market fluctuation, and no interest accrues on the security to the purchaser during this period. The payment obligation and the interest rate that will be received on the securities are each fixed at the time the purchaser enters into the commitment. Purchasing obligations on a when-issued basis is a form of leveraging and can involve a risk that the yields available in the market when the delivery takes place may actually be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. In that case, there could be an unrealized loss at the time of delivery. An increase in the percentage of the Fund’s assets committed to the purchase of securities on a “when-issued basis” may increase the volatility of its NAV.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The collateral received when the Fund lends portfolio securities must be valued daily and, should the market value of the loaned securities increase, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the lending Fund. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the Fund any dividends or interest paid on such securities. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower. The Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the interest earned on the cash or equivalent collateral to the borrower or placing broker. The Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, but would terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that were considered important with respect to the investment.
The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of possible delay in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. The Fund could also lose money if its short-term investment of the cash collateral declines in value over the period of the loan.
Temporary Investments
For defensive purposes, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a substantial portion of its assets in high quality fixed income securities and money market instruments, or may temporarily hold cash amounts as the Adviser deems appropriate. Fixed income securities will be deemed to be of high quality if they are rated “A” or better by S&P or the corresponding rating by Moody’s or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. Money market instruments are high quality, short-term fixed income obligations (which generally have remaining maturities of one year or less), and may include:
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U.S. Government securities; |
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certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic branches of U.S. banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; |
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short-term obligations of foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars and traded in the United States; and |
Money Market Instruments
The Fund may invest in any type of money market instruments, short-term debt securities or cash for temporary defensive purposes, to pay expenses and/or meet redemption requests. Money market instruments in which the Fund may invest include: U.S. government securities; certificates of deposit (“CDs”), time deposits (“TDs”) and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic banks (including their branches located outside the United States and subsidiaries located in Canada), domestic branches of foreign banks, savings and loan associations and similar institutions; high grade commercial paper; and repurchase agreements with respect to the foregoing types of instruments. The following is a more detailed description of such money market instruments.
CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. TDs are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers usually in connection with international transactions.
Recently enacted legislation will affect virtually every area of banking and financial regulation. The impact of the regulations is not yet fully known and may not be known for some time. In addition, new regulations to be promulgated pursuant to the legislation could adversely affect the Fund’s investments in money market instruments.
Domestic commercial banks organized under federal law are supervised and examined by the Comptroller of the Currency (the “COTC”) and are required to be members of the Federal Reserve System and to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). Domestic banks organized under state law are supervised and examined by state banking authorities but are members of the Federal Reserve System only if they elect to join. Most state banks are insured by the FDIC (although such insurance may not be of material benefit to the Fund, depending upon the principal amount of CDs of each bank held by the Fund) and are subject to federal examination and to a substantial body of federal law and regulation. As a result of governmental regulations, domestic branches of domestic banks are, among other things, generally required to maintain specified levels of reserves, and are subject to other supervision and regulation.
Obligations of foreign branches of domestic banks, such as CDs and TDs, may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and government regulation. Such obligations are subject to different risks than are those of domestic banks or domestic branches of foreign banks. These risks include foreign economic and political developments, foreign governmental restrictions that may adversely affect payment of principal and interest on the obligations, foreign exchange controls and foreign withholding and other taxes on interest income. Foreign branches of domestic banks are not necessarily subject to the same or similar regulatory requirements that apply to domestic banks, such as mandatory reserve requirements, loan limitations, and accounting, auditing and financial recordkeeping requirements. In addition, less information may be publicly available about a foreign branch of a domestic bank than about a domestic bank.
Obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks may be general obligations of the parent bank in addition to the issuing branch, or may be limited by the terms of a specific obligation and by governmental regulation as well as
governmental action in the country in which the foreign bank has its head office. A domestic branch of a foreign bank with assets in excess of $1 billion may or may not be subject to reserve requirements imposed by the Federal Reserve System or by the state in which the branch is located if the branch is licensed in that state. In addition, branches licensed by the COTC and branches licensed by certain states (“State Branches”) may or may not be required to: (a) pledge to the regulator by depositing assets with a designated bank within the state, an amount of its assets equal to 5% of its total liabilities; and (b) maintain assets within the state in an amount equal to a specified percentage of the aggregate amount of liabilities of the foreign bank payable at or through all of its agencies or branches within the state. The deposits of State Branches may not necessarily be insured by the FDIC. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about a domestic branch of a foreign bank than about a domestic bank.
Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. A variable amount master demand note (which is a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender, such as the Fund, pursuant to which the lender may determine to invest varying amounts. Transfer of such notes is usually restricted by the issuer, and there is no secondary trading market for such notes.
Repurchase Agreements
Repurchase agreements are agreements under which the Fund purchases securities from a bank or a securities dealer that agrees to repurchase the securities from the Fund at a higher price on a designated future date. If the seller under a repurchase agreement becomes insolvent, the Fund’s right to dispose of the securities may be restricted, or the value of the securities may decline before the Fund is able to dispose of them. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the seller, the Fund may encounter delay and incur costs, including a decline in the value of the securities, before being able to sell the securities. If the seller defaults, the value of the securities may decline before the Fund is able to dispose of them. If the Fund enters into a repurchase agreement that is subject to foreign law and the other party defaults, the Fund may not enjoy protections comparable to those provided to most repurchase agreements under U.S. bankruptcy law, and may suffer delays and losses in disposing of the collateral. The Fund have adopted procedures designed to minimize the risks of loss from repurchase agreements.
The Fund’s custodian or a sub-custodian will take possession of the securities subject to repurchase agreements, and these securities will be marked to market daily. To the extent that the original seller does not repurchase the securities from the Fund, the Fund could receive less than the repurchase price on any sale of such securities. In the event that such a defaulting seller filed for bankruptcy or became insolvent, disposition of such securities by the Fund might be delayed pending court action. The Fund believes that under the regular procedures normally in effect for custody of the Fund’s portfolio securities subject to repurchase agreements, a court of competent jurisdiction would rule in favor of the Fund and allow retention or disposition of such securities. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements with banks and other recognized financial institutions, such as broker-dealers, which are deemed by the Adviser to be creditworthy pursuant to guidelines established by the Trustees.
Repurchase agreements could involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the other party, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities, the risk of a possible decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period in which the Fund seeks to assert its right to them, the risk of incurring expenses associated with asserting those rights and the risk of losing all or part of the income from the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements. These transactions are similar to borrowing cash and involve risks similar to those discussed under “Borrowing” below. In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another person, such as a financial institution, broker, or dealer, in return for a percentage of the instrument’s market value in cash, and agrees that on a stipulated date in the future the Fund will repurchase the portfolio instrument by remitting the original consideration plus interest at an agreed upon rate. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may enable the Fund to avoid selling portfolio instruments at a time when a sale may be deemed to be disadvantageous, but the ability to enter into reverse repurchase agreements does not
ensure that the Fund will be able to avoid selling portfolio instruments at a disadvantageous time. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets.
When effecting reverse repurchase agreements, liquid assets of the Fund, in a dollar amount sufficient to make payment for the obligations to be purchased, are segregated at the trade date. These securities are marked to market daily and maintained until the transaction is settled.
Short Sales
The Fund may effect short sales of securities. A short sale involves the sale of a security that the Fund does not own in anticipation of purchasing the same security (or a security exchangeable therefore) at a later date at a lower price. When selling short, the Fund must borrow the security sold short and will be obligated to return the security to the lender. This is accomplished by a later purchase of the security by the Fund to close its short position. When the Fund effects a short sale, it must maintain collateral in a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities with a value equal to the current market value of the securities sold short less any cash deposited with its broker. The Fund may not sell a security short if, as a result of that sale, the current value of securities sold short by the Fund would exceed 10% of the value of its net assets.
The use of short sales is considered a speculative investment practice. The limited use of this practice, however, permits the Fund to pursue opportunities to profit from anticipated declines in the prices of particular securities which in the view of the Adviser are overvalued or are likely to be adversely affected by particular trends or events.
The Fund may also effect short sales “against the box” to hedge against a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund. These transactions are not subject to the 10% limitation described above. If the Fund effects a short sale against the box, it will set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and hold those securities while the short sale is outstanding.
Borrowing
The Fund may borrow up to 10% of its total assets for investment purposes (which is a practice known as “leverage”). Leveraging creates an opportunity for increased investment returns, but at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares and in the yield on the Fund’s portfolio. Although the principal amount of such borrowings will be fixed, the Fund’s net assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Since any decline in value of the Fund’s investments will be borne entirely by the Fund’s shareholders, the effect of leverage in a declining market would be a greater decrease in net asset value than if the Fund did not use leverage. Leveraging will create interest expenses for the Fund, which can exceed the investment return from the borrowed funds. To the extent the investment return derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, the Fund’s investment return will be greater than if leverage was not used. Conversely, if the investment return from the assets retained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of borrowings, the investment return of the Fund will be less than if leverage was not used. The Fund may also borrow money from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes, including to make payments to pay redemptions, subject to the overall limitation that total borrowings by the Fund (including borrowing through reverse repurchase agreements) may not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (measured in each case at the time of borrowing).
Derivatives
Commodity Exchange Act Regulation. The Fund is operated by an investment adviser who has claimed an exclusion, granted to operators of registered investment companies like the Fund, from registration as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) with respect to the Fund under the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”), and, therefore, are not subject to registration or regulation with respect to the Fund under the CEA. As a result, the Fund is limited in its ability to trade instruments subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction, including commodity futures (which include futures on broad-based securities indexes, interest rate futures and currency futures), options on commodity futures, certain swaps or other investments (whether directly or indirectly through investments in other investment vehicles).
Under this exclusion, the Fund must satisfy one of the following two trading limitations whenever it enters into a new commodity trading position: (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in CFTC-regulated instruments may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Fund would not be required to consider its exposure to such instruments if they were held for “bona fide hedging” purposes, as such term is defined in the rules of the CFTC. In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the markets for CFTC-regulated instruments.
The Fund may be exposed to commodity interests indirectly in excess of the limits described in the prior paragraph. Such exposure may result from the Fund’s investment in other investment vehicles, including investment companies that are not managed by the Adviser, certain securitized vehicles that may invest in commodity interests and/or non-equity REITs that may invest in commodity interests. These investment vehicles are referred to collectively as “underlying funds.” The Adviser may have limited or no information as to what an underlying fund may be invested in at any given time, because they are not managed by the Adviser and their holdings will likely change over time. To address this lack of transparency, the CFTC staff has issued a no-action letter permitting the adviser of a fund that invests in such underlying funds to register as a CPO or to claim the exclusion from the CPO definition until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the application of de minimis thresholds in the context of the CFTC exemptive rules. In order to rely on this no-action relief, the adviser must meet certain conditions (including certain compliance measures), and otherwise be able to rely on a claim of exclusion from the CPO definition. The Advisor has filed the required notice to claim this no-action relief with respect to the Global Realty Fund.
Swaps
Equity swaps allow the parties to a swap agreement to exchange the dividend income or other components of return on an equity investment (for example, a group of equity securities or an index) for a component of return on another non-equity or equity investment. An equity swap may be used by the Fund to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise deemed impractical or disadvantageous. Equity swaps may also be used for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. The Fund’s ability to enter into certain swap transactions may be limited by tax considerations. The counterparty to an equity swap contract will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer.
Equity swap contracts may be structured in different ways. For example, a counterparty may agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the equity swap contract would have increased in value had it been invested in particular stocks (or an index of stocks), plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. In these cases, the Fund may agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the equity swap contract plus the amount, if any, by which that notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on the equity swap contract should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount. In other cases, the counterparty and the Fund may each agree to pay the other the difference between the relative investment performances that would have been achieved if the notional amount of the equity swap contract had been invested in different stocks (or indices of stocks). The Fund will generally enter into equity swaps on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of an equity swap contract or periodically during its term.
Equity swaps are derivatives and their value can be very volatile. Equity swaps normally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to equity swaps is normally limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If the counterparty to an equity swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Because some swap agreements have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the cost of the underlying asset without the use of leverage. In addition, the value of some components of an equity swap (such as the dividends on a
common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates. To the extent that the Adviser does not accurately analyze and predict the potential relative fluctuation of the components swapped with another party, the Fund may suffer a loss. Because equity swaps are normally illiquid, the Fund may be unable to terminate its obligations when desired. When entering into swap contracts, the Fund must “set aside” liquid assets, or engage in other appropriate measures to “cover” its obligation under the swap contract.
Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash or liquid assets to cover the Fund’s exposure, the Fund and the Adviser believe that transactions do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.
Use of Futures and Options
The Fund may engage in transactions in options and futures contracts and options on futures contracts. These instruments derive their performance, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset or index. The discussion below provides additional information regarding the use of options on stock indices and stock index futures.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in stock index futures contracts and options on futures contracts that are traded on a domestic exchange or board of trade. The purpose of entering into a futures contract is to protect the Fund from fluctuations in the value of securities without actually buying or selling the securities. For example, in the case of stock index futures contracts, if the Fund anticipates an increase in the price of stocks that it intends to purchase at a later time, the Fund could enter into contracts to purchase the stock index (known as taking a “long” position) as a temporary substitute for the purchase of stocks. If an increase in the market occurs that influences the stock index as anticipated, the value of the futures contracts increases and thereby serves as a hedge against the Fund’s not participating in a market advance. The Fund then may close out the futures contracts by entering into offsetting futures contracts to sell the stock index (known as taking a “short” position) as it purchases individual stocks. The Fund can accomplish similar results by buying securities with long maturities and selling securities with short maturities. But by using futures contracts as an investment tool to reduce risk, given the greater liquidity in the futures market, it may be possible to accomplish the same result more easily and more quickly.
No consideration will be paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents equal to approximately 1% to 10% of the contract amount (this amount is subject to change by the exchange or board of trade on which the contract is traded and brokers or members of such board of trade may charge a higher amount). This amount is known as “initial margin” and is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract, which is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the broker, will be made daily as the price of the index or securities underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” In addition, when the Fund enters into a long position in a futures contract or an option on a futures contract, it must maintain an amount of cash or cash equivalents equal to the total market value of the underlying futures contract, less amounts held in the Fund’s commodity brokerage account at its broker. At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract.
Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into (or through a linked exchange) and no secondary market exists for those contracts. Most futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses. In such event, and in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin; in such circumstances, an increase in the value of the portion of the portfolio being hedged, if any, may partially or completely offset losses on the futures contract. As described above, however, no assurance can be given that the price of the securities being hedged will correlate with the price movements in a futures contract and thus provide an offset to losses on the futures contract.
Options on Securities. The Fund may engage in the writing of covered call options. The Fund may also purchase put options and enter into closing transactions.
The principal reason for writing covered call options on securities is to attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. In return for a premium, the writer of a covered call option forfeits the right to any appreciation in the value of the underlying security above the strike price for the life of the option (or until a closing purchase transaction can be effected). Nevertheless, the call writer retains the risk of a decline in the price of the underlying security. Similarly, the principal reason for writing covered put options is to realize income in the form of premiums. The writer of a covered put option accepts the risk of a decline in the price of the underlying security. The size of the premiums the Fund may receive may be adversely affected as new or existing institutions, including other investment companies, engage in or increase their option-writing activities.
Options written by the Fund will normally have expiration dates between one and six months from the date written. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to, or above the current market values of the underlying securities at the times the options are written. In the case of call options, these exercise prices are referred to as “in-the-money,” “at-the-money” and “out-of-the-money,” respectively.
Generally, the Fund may write (a) in-the-money call options when the Adviser expects the price of the underlying security to remain flat or decline moderately during the option period, (b) at-the-money call options when the Adviser expects the price of the underlying security to remain flat or advance moderately during the option period and (c) out-of-the-money call options when the Adviser expects that the price of the security may increase but not above a price equal to the sum of the exercise price plus the premiums received from writing the call option. In any of the preceding situations, if the market price of the underlying security declines and the security is sold at this lower price, the amount of any realized loss will be offset wholly or in part by the premium received. Writing out-of-the-money, at-the-money and in-the-money put options (the reverse of call options as to the relation of exercise price to market price) may be utilized in the same market environments as such call options are used in equivalent transactions.
So long as the obligation of the Fund as the writer of an option continues, the Fund may be assigned an exercise notice by the broker/dealer through which the option was sold, requiring it to deliver, in the case of a call, or take delivery of, in the case of a put, the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. This obligation terminates when the option expires or the Fund effects a closing purchase transaction. The Fund can no longer effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option once it has been assigned an exercise notice. To secure its obligation to deliver the underlying security when it writes a call option, or to pay for the underlying security when it writes a put option, the Fund will be required to deposit in escrow the underlying security or other assets in accordance with the rules of the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) or similar clearing corporation and the securities exchange on which the option is written.
An option position may be closed out only where there exists a secondary market for an option of the same series on a recognized securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market.
The Fund may realize a profit or loss upon entering into a closing transaction. In cases in which the Fund has written an option, it will realize a profit if the cost of the closing purchase transaction is less than the premium received upon writing the original option and will incur a loss if the cost of the closing purchase transaction exceeds the premium received upon writing the original option. Similarly, when the Fund has purchased an option and engages in a closing sale transaction, whether it recognizes a profit or loss will depend upon whether the amount received in the closing sale transaction is more or less than the premium the Fund initially paid for the original option plus the related transaction costs.
There is no assurance that sufficient trading interest to create a liquid secondary market on a securities exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time, and for some options no such secondary market may exist or may cease to exist. In the past, for example, higher than anticipated trading activity or order flow, or other unforeseen events, have at times rendered certain of the facilities of the OCC and national securities exchanges inadequate and resulted in the institution of special procedures, such as trading rotations, restrictions on certain types of orders or trading halts or suspensions in one or more options. There can be no assurance that similar events, or events that may otherwise interfere with the timely execution of customers’ orders, will not recur. In such event, it might not be
possible to effect closing transactions in particular options. If, as a covered call option writer, the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security upon exercise.
Securities exchanges generally have established limitations governing the maximum number of calls and puts of each class which may be held or written, or exercised within certain periods, by an investor or group of investors acting in concert (regardless of whether the options are written on the same or different securities exchanges or are held, written or exercised in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). It is possible that the Fund may be considered to be such a group. A securities exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.
In the case of options written by the Fund that are deemed covered by virtue of the Fund’s holding convertible or exchangeable preferred stock or debt securities, the time required to convert or exchange and obtain physical delivery of the underlying common stock with respect to which the Fund has written options may exceed the time within which the Fund must make delivery in accordance with an exercise notice. In these instances, the Fund may purchase or temporarily borrow the underlying securities for purposes of physical delivery. By so doing, the Fund will not bear any market risk because the Fund will have the absolute right to receive from the issuer of the underlying security an equal number of shares to replace the borrowed stock, but the Fund may incur additional transaction costs or interest expenses in connection with any such purchase or borrowing.
The Fund is authorized to purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, the Fund acquires a right to sell the underlying securities or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Fund’s risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out the Fund’s position as the purchaser of an option by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. The Fund also may purchase uncovered put options.
The Fund may also purchase call options, including covered call options, on any of the types of securities or instruments in which it may invest. A purchased call option gives the Fund the right to buy the underlying security, or its equivalent covered by the option, from the writer of the option at the exercise price at any time during the option period.
Although the Adviser will attempt to take appropriate measures to minimize the risks relating to the Fund’s writing of call options and purchasing of put and call options, there can be no assurance that the Fund will succeed in its option-writing program.
Stock Index Options. The Fund may purchase put and call options and write call options on domestic stock indexes listed on domestic exchanges in order to realize its investment objectives or for the purpose of hedging its portfolio. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. Some stock index options are based on a broad market index such as the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Composite Index or the Canadian Market Portfolio Index, or a narrower market or industry index such as the S&P 100 Index, the NYSE Arca Oil Index or the NYSE Arca Computer Technology Index.
Options on stock indexes are generally similar to options on stock except for the delivery requirements. Instead of giving the right to take or make delivery of stock at a specified price, an option on a stock index gives the holder the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount” equal to (a) the amount, if any, by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (b) a fixed “index multiplier.” Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based being greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash received will be equal to such difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars or a foreign currency, as the case may be, times a specified multiple. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the
premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The writer may offset its position in stock index options prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or it may let the option expire unexercised.
The effectiveness of purchasing or writing stock index options as a hedging technique will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the portion of the securities portfolio of the Fund being hedged correlate with price movements of the stock index selected. Because the value of an index option depends upon movements in the level of the index rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the purchase or writing of options on an index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or, in the case of certain indexes, in an industry or market segment, rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Except as noted, the investment restrictions set forth below are fundamental and may not be changed with respect to the Fund without the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund. Where an asterisk (*) appears, the relevant policy is non-fundamental with respect to the Fund and may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval.
As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund” means the lesser of (1) the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of the Fund or (2) 67% of the shares of the Fund present if more than 50% of the shares are present at a meeting in person or by proxy.
Except as otherwise stated in this SAI or in the Prospectus, if a percentage limitation set forth in an investment policy or restriction of the Fund is adhered to at the time of investment or at the time the Fund engages in a transaction, a subsequent increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in value of an investment or position, or a change in the net assets of the Fund, will not result in a violation of such restriction.
For purposes of its policies and limitations, the Fund consider certificates of deposit and demand and time deposits issued by a U.S. branch of a domestic bank or savings and loan association having capital, surplus, and undivided profits in excess of $100,000,000 at the time of investment to be “cash items.”
1. Diversification
The Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets, at the time of the investment in question, in the securities of any one issuer other than the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities, except that up to 50% of its total assets may be invested without regard to such 5% limitation.
The SEC has taken the position that, for purposes of the restrictions applicable to a fund’s diversification, investments in securities of other investment companies, including in exchange-traded funds, are considered investments in the portfolio securities of such investment companies.
2. Underwriting
The Fund will not underwrite any issue of securities except as it may be deemed an underwriter under the 1933 Act in connection with the sale of securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations.
3. Concentration in Any One Industry
The Fund will concentrate its investments in the securities of companies engaged principally in the real estate industry and may invest all of its assets in such securities; however, the Fund may temporarily invest less than 25% of its assets in such securities during periods of adverse economic conditions in the real estate industry.
4. Lending of Funds and Securities
The Fund may lend money or other assets to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.
With respect to this fundamental policy, the 1940 Act does not prohibit the Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements.
5. Commodities
The Fund, may not purchase, sell or invest in commodities, provided that this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing and selling securities or other instruments backed by commodities or financial futures contracts and related options, including but not limited to, currency futures contracts and stock index futures.
Because most swaps are now considered interests under the Commodity Exchange Act and its rules, the Fund’s fundamental investment restriction related to investing in commodity interests is being interpreted to permit the Fund to engage in transactions in swaps and options on swaps related to financial instruments, such as securities indexes, currencies and other financial instruments, but not to engage in transactions in swaps related to physical commodities, such as oil or metals.
6. Real Estate
The Fund may not purchase, sell or invest in real estate, but may invest in securities of companies that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, including real estate investment trusts, and securities secured by real estate or interests therein and may hold and sell real estate acquired through default, liquidation or other distributions of an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities.
7. Borrowing, Senior Securities, Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may not issue senior securities as defined by the 1940 Act, except that the Fund may borrow money from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements (i) in the aggregate amount of up to 10% of its total assets to increase its holdings of portfolio securities and (ii) for temporary extraordinary or emergency purposes, subject to the overall limitation that total borrowings by the Fund (including borrowing through reverse repurchase agreements) may not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (measured in each case at the time of borrowing).
8. Investment Objective*
The investment objective for the Fund may be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to the shareholders.
9. 80% Investment Policy*
The 80% investment policy of the Fund may be changed by the Board upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it does not a have a turnover rate to report for the most two recent fiscal years.
MANAGEMENT
The Board has the responsibility for the overall management of the Trust and the Fund, including general supervision and review of the Fund’s investment activities and the stated policies of the Fund. The Board of Trustees elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the Trust’s day-to-day operations.
The Trustees, including the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust as that term is defined under the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”), and executive officers of the Trust, their ages and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below. The address of each Trustee and officer is 2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215, Purchase, New York 10577.
Independent Trustees
Name,
Address
and Year of
Birth
|
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
|
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
|
Principal
Occupation During
Past Five Years
|
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex*
|
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee in the
Past Five Years
|
H. Guy Leibler (1954)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Indefinite, since the Trust’s inception
|
President, Simone Healthcare development (since 2013); Private investor (since 2007).
|
14
|
Chairman Emeritus, White Plains Hospital Center (1988 to Present); Trustee of each of the Alpine Trusts (1996 to Present).**
|
Jeffrey E. Wacksman (1960)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Indefinite, since 2004
|
Partner, Loeb, Block & Partners LLP (law firm) (since 1994).
|
14
|
Director, International Succession Planning Association; Director, Bondi Icebergs Inc. (women’s sportswear); Director, MH Properties, Inc. (a real estate holding company); Trustee of each of the Alpine Trusts.**
|
James A. Jacobson (1945)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Indefinite, since 2009
|
Retired, (since 2008); Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Spear Leeds & Kellogg Specialists, LLC, (2003 to 2008).
|
14
|
Trustee of Allianz Global Investors Multi-Funds (2009 to Present); Trustee of PIMCO Closed-End Funds (since 2014); Trustee of PIMCO Managed Accounts Trust (since 2014); Trustee of each of the Alpine Trusts.**
|
Eleanor T.M. Hoagland (1951)
|
Independent Trustee
|
Indefinite, since October 2012
|
Principal, VCS Advisory, LLC (since 2011); Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Managing Director of Magni Asset Management LLC (since 2011) and Park Fifth Capital Management LLC (2011-2013); Vice President (2008 to 2010) and CCO (2009 to 2010), Ameriprise Financial Inc.
|
14
|
Trustee of each of the Alpine Trusts.**
|
Interested Trustee & Officers
Name,
Address
and Year of
Birth
|
Position(s)
Held with
the Trusts
|
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
|
Principal
Occupation During
Past Five Years
|
# of
Portfolios
in Fund
Complex*
|
Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
|
Samuel A. Lieber*** (1956)
|
Interested Trustee and President
|
Indefinite, since the Trust’s inception
|
Chief Executive Officer, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (since 1997); President of Alpine Trusts (since 1998).
|
14
|
Trustee of each of the Alpine Trusts.**
|
Stephen A. Lieber**** (1925)
|
Vice President
|
Indefinite, since the Trust’s inception
|
Chairman and Senior Portfolio Manager, Saxon Woods Advisors, LLC (since 1999).
|
14
|
N/A
|
Andrew Pappert (1980)
|
Secretary
|
Indefinite, since 2009
|
Director of Fund Operations, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (since September 2008).
|
14
|
N/A
|
Kenneth Corrado (1964)
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
Indefinite, since July 2013
|
Chief Compliance Officer, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (since July 2013); Independent Compliance
Consultant (2012 to 2013); Vice
President and Deputy Chief Compliance
Officer, Artio Global Management,
LLC (2007 to 2012).
|
14
|
N/A
|
Ronald G. Palmer, Jr. (1968)
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
Indefinite, since 2010
|
Chief Financial Officer, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC (since January 2010).
|
14
|
N/A
|
Joe C. Caruso (1971)
|
Treasurer
|
Indefinite, since July 2013
|
Fund Accountant, Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC since 2011; Independent Tax Consultant (2010 to 2011); Assistant Vice President Global Fund Services, Deutsche Bank AG (2009 to 2010)
|
14
|
N/A
|
* |
Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC currently manages fourteen portfolios within the six investment companies that comprise the Alpine Trusts. The Alpine Equity Trust, Alpine Series Trust and Alpine Income Trust are each registered as an open-end management investment company. The Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund are each registered as a closed-end management investment company. The Trustees currently oversee fourteen portfolios within the six Alpine Trusts. |
** |
The Trustees identified in this SAI are members of the Board of Trustees for each of the Alpine Equity Trust, Alpine Income Trust, Alpine Series Trust, Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (the “Alpine Trusts”). |
*** |
Denotes Trustees who are “interested persons” of the Trust or Fund under the 1940 Act. |
**** |
Stephen A. Lieber is the father of Samuel A. Lieber. |
The Board believes that each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that the Board possesses the requisite attributes and skills. The Board also believes that the Trustees’ ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Adviser, other service providers, counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties support this conclusion.
In addition, the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills apply to each Trustee. Mr. Leibler has substantial experience as a senior executive of an operating company. Mr. Wacksman has substantial experience practicing law and advising clients with respect to various business transactions. Mr. Jacobson has substantial experience as a senior executive of a specialist broker. Ms. Hoagland has over twenty years of experience in the fund and investment advisory business. Mr. Lieber has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser since its inception and has substantial experience as an executive and portfolio manager and in leadership roles with Alpine Funds and the Adviser. References to the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board as a whole.
The Board has three standing Committees: (1) the Audit Committee, (2) the Valuation Committee and (3) the Nominating Committee. Each Committee consists of all four of the Independent Trustees. Where deemed appropriate, the Board may constitute ad hoc committees.
Mr. Lieber serves as Chairman of the Board and Mr. Leibler serves as Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee works with the Chairman of the Board to set the agendas for Board meetings. The Lead Independent Trustee also serves as a key point person for interaction between management and the Independent Trustees. The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information between the Independent Trustees and management.
The Audit Committee oversees the scope of the Fund’s audit, the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and its internal controls. The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for oversight of the integrity of the Fund’s accounting, auditing and financial reporting practices, the qualifications and independence of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and the Fund’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee approves, and recommends to the Board for ratification, the selection, appointment, retention or termination of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and approves the compensation of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee also approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided to the Fund by the independent registered public accounting firm and all permissible non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to its Adviser and service providers if the engagement relates directly to the Fund’s operations and financial reporting. The Audit Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015.
The Valuation Committee is responsible for (1) monitoring the valuation of Fund securities and other investments; and (2) as required, when the Board of Trustees is not in session, reviewing and approving the fair value of illiquid and other holdings after consideration of all relevant factors, which determinations are reported to the Board of Trustees. The Valuation Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015.
The Nominating Committee is responsible for overseeing Board governance and related Trustee practices, including selecting and nominating all persons for election or appointment as an Independent Trustee. The Nominating Committee may consider nominees recommended by a shareholder. In evaluating potential nominees, including any nominees recommended by shareholders, the Nominating Committee takes into consideration various factors, including, among any others it may deem relevant, character and integrity, business and professional experience, and whether the committee believes the person has the ability to apply sound and independent business judgment and would act in the interest of the Fund and its shareholders. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send recommendations to the Trust’s Secretary that include all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for the election of Trustees. A recommendation must be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders. The Nominating Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015.
Service providers to the Fund, primarily the Adviser, have responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Fund, which includes responsibility for risk management. As an integral part of its responsibility for oversight of the Fund, the Board oversees risk management of the Fund’s investment program and business affairs. Oversight of the risk management process is part of the Board’s general oversight of the Fund and its service providers.
The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment risk, counterparty risk, valuation risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Adviser or various service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various personnel, including the Fund’s and the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer as well as personnel of other service providers, such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management, as well as events and circumstances that have arisen and responses thereto. The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to inherent limitations.
Compensation
The Fund Complex known as the Alpine Trusts is comprised of six separate registrants consisting of fourteen portfolios. The six separate registrants include the Alpine Equity Trust, Alpine Series Trust and Alpine Income Trust (each registered as an open-end management investment company) and the Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund,
Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund (each registered as a closed-end management investment company).
The Alpine Trusts pay an annual fee to each Trustee who is not an officer or employee of the Adviser or Distributor (or any affiliated company of the Adviser or Distributor) in the amount of $125,000 for the Fund Complex. The Alpine Trusts pay an additional $25,000 annually to the Lead Independent Trustee. Travel expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated persons of the Adviser or the Distributor (or any affiliated company of the Adviser or the Distributor) that are incurred in connection with attending meetings of the Board will also be reimbursed. Those fees and expenses are allocated to each fund based on relative assets within the Fund Complex.
Set forth below for each of the Trustees is the aggregate compensation paid to such Trustees by the Fund:
Name
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from the Fund
|
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued As Part of
Trust Expenses
|
Estimated
Annual Benefits
Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation
from Funds and Fund
Complex Paid to
Trustees(1)
|
Independent Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
H. Guy Leibler
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$150,000
|
Jeffrey E. Wacksman
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$125,000
|
James A. Jacobson
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$125,000
|
Eleanor T.M. Hoagland
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$125,000
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
Samuel A. Lieber
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
(1) These figures represent the annual aggregate compensation by the Fund Complex for the calendar year ended December 31, 2014. The Fund Complex is currently comprised of six separate registrants consisting of fourteen portfolios.
Trustee and Officer Ownership of Fund Shares
Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities of the Fund beneficially owned by each Trustee as of December 31, 2014:
|
Amount Invested Key
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. None
|
|
|
B. $1-$10,000
|
|
|
C. $10,001-$50,000
|
|
|
D. $50,001-$100,000
|
|
|
E. $100,001-$500,000
|
|
|
F. $500,001-$1,000,000
|
|
|
G. Over $1,000,000
|
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
Interested
Trustee
|
Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned
|
H. Guy Leibler
|
Jeffrey E.
Wacksman
|
James A.
Jacobson
|
Eleanor T.M.
Hoagland
|
Samuel A.
Lieber
|
Global Realty Fund(1)
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
Total Value of Securities Owned
in the Fund Complex (2)(3)
|
B
|
E
|
E
|
E
|
G
|
(1) The Global Realty Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, had no trustee investment as of December 31, 2014.
(2) Includes holdings of each series of the Alpine Equity Trust, Alpine International Real Estate Equity Fund, Alpine Realty Income & Growth Fund, Alpine Emerging Markets Real Estate Fund and Alpine Global Infrastructure Fund), the Alpine Series Trust, Alpine Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Financial Services Fund, Alpine Small Cap Fund, and Alpine Rising Dividend Fund), the Alpine Income Trust (Alpine Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund and Alpine High Yield Managed Duration Municipal Fund), Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund, Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund and Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund.
(3) Alpine Global Consumer Growth Fund liquidated on March 26, 2015 and Alpine Municipal Money Market Fund liquidated on April 28, 2015. Alpine Cyclical Advantage Property Fund was reorganized into Alpine Global Infrastructure Fund as of the close of business on October 23, 2015. Alpine Equity Income Fund and Alpine Transformations Fund were reorganized into Alpine Rising Dividend Fund as of the close of business on October 23, 2015.
As of December 31, 2014, Lieber family beneficial holdings in the three unregistered funds managed by the Adviser included 43.68% of Alpine Woods Growth Values Financial Equities, L.P., 87.27% of Alpine Woods Global Growth Values, L.P. and 74.68% of Alpine Woods Growth Values, L.P.
Other than as set forth in the foregoing table, during the calendar years ended December 31, 2013 or December 31, 2014, no Trustee who is not an interested person of the Trust or immediate family member of such Trustee had:
(i) |
any direct or indirect interest in the Adviser or the Distributor of the Fund or its affiliates; or |
(ii) |
any material interest, direct or indirect in any transaction or series of similar transactions in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000; or |
(iii) |
any direct or indirect relationship, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 including payments for property or services to or from, provision of legal services to, provision of investment banking services to (other than as a participating underwriting in a syndicate); or |
(iv) |
any consulting or other relationship that is substantially similar in nature and scope to the foregoing relationships, with: |
(A) the Fund; (B) an officer of the Trust; (C) an investment company, or person that would be an investment company but for the exclusions provided by Sections 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) (15 U.S.C. 80a-3(c)(1) and (c)(7)), having the same investment adviser or principal underwriter as the Fund or having an investment adviser or principal underwriter that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor; (D) an officer of an investment company, or a person that would be an investment company but for the exclusions provided by sections 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) (15 U.S.C. 80a-3(c)(1) and (c)(7)), having the same investment adviser or principal underwriter as the Fund or having an investment adviser or principal underwriter that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor; (E) the Adviser or the Distributor; (F) an officer of the Adviser or the Distributor; (G) a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor; or (H) an officer of a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor (excluding routine, retail relationships, including credit cards, bank or brokerage accounts, residential mortgages, insurance policies, etc.).
No officer of the Adviser or the Distributor, or officers of persons directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor has served during the two most recently completed calendar years, on the board of directors of a company where an Independent Trustee or immediate family member of such Trustee, was, during the two most recently completed calendar years, an officer.
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
The Adviser owned all of the outstanding shares of the Global Realty Fund prior to its public offering.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS
The management of the Fund is supervised by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC provides investment advisory services to the Fund pursuant to investment advisory agreement entered into with the Trust (the “Advisory Agreement”).
The Adviser, located at 2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215, Purchase, New York, 10577, is a Delaware limited liability company organized on December 3, 1997. It was formed for the purpose of providing investment advisory and management services to investment companies (including the Fund) and other advisory clients. All membership interests in the Adviser are owned by Alpine Woods, L.P. Samuel A. Lieber has a majority interest in Alpine Woods, L.P. and is the controlling person of its general partner, Alpine Woods GP, LLC. He co-founded the Adviser with his father, Stephen A. Lieber.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to furnish reports, statistical and research services and recommendations with respect to the Fund’s portfolio of investments. In addition, the Adviser provides office facilities to the Fund and performs a variety of administrative services. The Fund bears all of its other expenses and liabilities, including expenses incurred in connection with maintaining its registration under the 1933 Act, and the 1940 Act, printing prospectuses (for existing shareholders) as they are updated, state qualifications, mailings, brokerage, custodian and stock transfer charges, printing, legal and auditing expenses, expenses of shareholders’ meetings and reports to shareholders.
The annual percentage rate and method used in computing the investment advisory fee of the Fund is described in the Prospectus. The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it has no advisory fees to report.
The Advisory Agreement is terminable, without the payment of any penalty, on sixty days’ written notice, by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by the Adviser. The Advisory Agreement provides that it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Advisory Agreement provides in substance that the Adviser shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser or of reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder.
The Fund’s Advisory Agreement became effective on September 30, 2015, and was approved by the persons then serving as Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees on September 30, 2015 for an initial term of two years. The Advisory Agreement may be continued in effect from year to year after its initial term, provided that its continuance is approved annually by the Trustees or by a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund, and in each case is also approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote cast in person at a meeting duly called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
The Adviser has agreed contractually to waive its fees and to absorb expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to assure that ordinary operating expenses of the Fund (including 12b-1 fees, but excluding interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed annually 1.35% (Institutional Class) and 1.60% (Class A) of the Fund’s average net assets.
The Adviser may recapture amounts waived and/or reimbursed to a class if such recapture occurs within three years of the waiver and/or reimbursement and does not cause the total annual fund operating expenses of the Fund for any year to exceed the limits described above. This arrangement will remain in effect unless and until the Board of Trustees approves its modification or termination. The Fund is newly offered; therefore, it has no waived expenses to report.
Trade Allocations
Securities considered as investments for the Fund may also be appropriate for other investment accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. If transactions on behalf of more than one fund during the same period increase the demand for securities purchased or the supply of securities sold, there may be an adverse effect on price or quantity. In addition, under its arrangements with three unregistered funds that it manages, the General Partner of the unregistered funds, which is an affiliate of the Adviser, is entitled to receive an incentive allocation to the extent that returns for any of those funds exceed a threshold return. This may create an incentive for the Adviser to allocate attractive investment opportunities to such funds. The Adviser has adopted a trade allocation policy to prohibit any allocation of trades in a manner that would permit the Adviser’s proprietary accounts (including any of the Alpine Funds or unregistered funds where at least 25% of account’s assets belong to the Adviser or Messrs. Samuel or Stephen Lieber, their family members and accounts for the benefit of such family members), affiliated accounts, or any particular Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) to receive more favorable treatment than any other Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s). The Adviser may aggregate trade orders in order for the Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) to receive the benefits of volume pricing and the sharing of trading costs. If the aggregated order is filled in its entirety, it will be allocated among the Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) in accordance with the stated allocation on the allocation statement at the average price obtained for all executions for the same security on the same side of the market on the same day; if the order is partially filled, it will generally be allocated pro rata in proportion to the individual Fund(s)’ and/or other investment account(s) original stated allocations listed in the allocation statement. Notwithstanding the requirements described above, the Adviser’s trade allocation policy permits occasional instances where an order may have a final allocation different from that specified on the allocation statement. This differential is permitted as long as, over time, all participating Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) receive fair and equitable treatment. With regard to the allocation of shares of initial public offerings (“IPOs”), Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) may participate in allocations received by the Adviser in shares of IPOs, subject to the Adviser’s discretionary policy not to invest the Fund’s assets in the initial public offering of an issuer’s securities (“IPOs”), if, in aggregate, 25% or greater of such Fund’s shares are beneficially owned by the Adviser or principals of the Adviser (neither clients of the Advisor’s affiliate, Saxon Woods, nor the Adviser’s unregistered funds participate in IPOs). The Adviser’s policy and practice is to allocate IPO shares fairly among its eligible Fund(s) and other investment account(s). In the event that a full allocation is not received, shares will generally be allocated pro rata in proportion to the individual Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s)’ written indications of interest. However, the IPO Coordinator or his or her designee may reduce a portfolio manager’s indications of interest by giving special consideration to the Fund(s) and/or other investment account(s) who intend to hold an IPO long term and/or whose investment objectives are closely aligned to the specific characteristics of the IPOs (e.g. an industry sector specific fund is in the same industry sector of the IPO, market geography, income and growth potential, market-cap, risk and/or company specific characteristics). In such instances, any adjustments to the indications of interest will be reflected on the written indications of interest form and approved by the Chief Compliance Officer.
While these aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the securities available to the Fund from time to time, it is the opinion of the Trustees that the benefits of these policies outweigh any potential disadvantages that may arise from exposure to simultaneous transactions.
Investments in IPOs
It is the Adviser’s discretionary policy not to invest the Fund’s assets in the initial public offering of an issuer’s securities (“IPOs”), if, in aggregate, 25% or greater of the Fund’s shares are beneficially owned by the Adviser or principals of the Adviser (the percentage of ownership will be calculated within 10 business days of each month-end based on ownership as of the last business day of the previous month). The Adviser will not change this policy without the consent of the Trust’s Board.
The Fund has adopted procedures under Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act to permit purchase and sales transactions to be effected between each Alpine Fund and other series of the open-end Trusts or between the Fund and certain other accounts that are managed by the Adviser. The Fund may from time to time engage in such transactions in accordance with these procedures.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Messrs. Bruce Ebnother and Joel Wells are the co-portfolio managers of the Fund. The following tables show the number of other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the total assets in the accounts managed within various categories as of September 30, 2015.
Bruce Ebnother
|
|
|
with Advisory Fee based on
performance
|
Type of Accounts
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
($ in millions)
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
($ in millions)
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
1
|
$589.9
|
0
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investments
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
Other Accounts
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
Joel Wells
|
|
|
with Advisory Fee based on
performance
|
Type of Accounts
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
($ in millions)
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
($ in millions)
|
Registered Investment Companies
|
2
|
$594.3
|
0
|
$0
|
Other Pooled Investments
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
Other Accounts
|
0
|
$0
|
0
|
$0
|
Material Conflicts of Interest. Where conflicts of interest arise between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, including unregistered funds, the portfolio managers will proceed in a manner that ensures that the Fund will not be treated materially less favorably. There may be instances where similar portfolio transactions may be executed for the same security for more than one account managed by the portfolio managers. In such instances, securities will be allocated in accordance with the Adviser’s trade allocation policy.
Compensation. The Adviser’s compensation and incentive program varies by professional and discipline. A portfolio manager’s compensation is comprised of a fixed base salary and a bonus. The base salary is not based on the value of the assets managed but rather on the individual portfolio manager’s experience and responsibilities. The bonus also varies by strategy, individual and value of assets managed, and is based upon criteria that incorporate the Adviser’s assessment of the Fund’s performance relative to returns of comparable mutual funds tracked by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc., Morningstar or Bloomberg LLP, as well as the portfolio manager’s corporate citizenship and overall contribution to the Firm.
Securities Owned in the Fund by Portfolio Managers. As of Septermber 30, 2015, the portfolio managers owned the following equity securities in the Fund:
Dollar Range of Equity Securities
Amount Invested Key
|
A.
|
None
|
|
B.
|
$1-$10,000
|
|
C.
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
D.
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
|
E.
|
$100,001-$500,000
|
|
F.
|
$500,001-$1,000,000
|
|
G.
|
Over $1,000,000
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Global Realty Fund(1)
|
Bruce Ebnother
|
A
|
Joel Wells
|
A
|
(1) |
The Global Realty Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, had no Portfolio Manager investment. |
DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICING
Distributor
The Fund has entered into a distribution agreement with Quasar Distributors, LLC, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 (the “Distributor”). The Distributor’s obligation is an agency or “best efforts” arrangement under which the Distributor will use best efforts to effect sales of shares of the Fund, but is not obligated to sell any certain number of shares. The public offering of the Fund’s shares is continuous. The distribution agreement is renewable from year to year if approved (a) by the Board or the vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, and (b) by a majority vote of the Board who are not “interested persons” of any party to the distribution agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
Distribution Plan
The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan authorizes payments by the Class A shares of the Fund in connection with the distribution of shares as follows:
Class A
|
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fee
(as a % of average daily net assets)
|
Global Realty Fund
|
0.25%
|
Payments may be made by the Class A shares under the Plan for the purpose of financing any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund, as determined by the Board. Such activities typically include advertising; compensation for sales and sales marketing activities of financial service agents and others, such as dealers or distributors; shareholder account servicing; production and dissemination of prospectuses and sales and marketing materials; and capital or other expenses of associated equipment, rent, salaries, bonuses, interest and other overhead. To the extent any activity is one which the Fund (or class) may finance without the Plan, the Class A shares may also make payments to finance such activity outside of the Plan and not subject to its limitations.
The Fund participates in joint distribution activities with the other funds in the Fund Complex. Fees paid by Class A shares of the Fund may indirectly support sales and servicing efforts relating to shares of other series within the Fund Complex. The Fund participates in joint distribution activities with the other funds in the Fund Complex. Fees paid by Class A shares of the Fund may indirectly support sales and servicing efforts relating to shares of other series within the Fund Complex. Payments under the Plan are based upon a percentage of average daily net assets attributable to the Fund regardless of the amounts actually paid or expenses actually incurred by the Distributor; however, in no event may such payments exceed the maximum allowable fee. It is, therefore, possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in a particular year as a result of these payments. The Plan increases the Fund’s expenses from what they would otherwise be.
The Plan is subject to the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which requires that the Board receive and review at least quarterly reports concerning the nature and qualification of expenses which are made, that the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approve all agreements implementing the Plan and that the Plan may be continued from year-to-year only if the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, concludes at least annually that continuation of the Plan is likely to benefit shareholders.
In their consideration of the Plan, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, considered all factors they deemed relevant and concluded that there is reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders.
No interested person of the Trust, the Fund, or any Independent Trustee has any direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plans except to the extent that the Distributor and certain of its employees may be deemed to have such an interest as a result of receiving a portion of the amounts expended under the Plan.
The Fund may enter into agreements with certain organizations that provide various services to Fund shareholders. Pursuant to such agreements, organizations that provide shareholder services may be entitled to receive fees from the Fund at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the shares covered by their respective agreements for shareholder support pursuant to the Plan. Such support may include, among other things, assisting investors in processing their purchase, exchange, or redemption requests, or processing dividend and distribution payments.
The Global Realty Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, paid no 12b-1 fees.
The Adviser may pay out of its own legitimate profits similar amounts to investors or sellers of the Fund’s shares.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Transfer Agent
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA 02169, acts as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend-disbursing agent.
Administrator and Fund Accountant
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, acts as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant and assists in the supervision of all aspects of the operations of the Fund (except those performed by the Adviser or the Custodian); preparing certain period reports; assisting in the preparation of tax returns; and preparing materials for use in connection with meetings of Trustees and shareholders.
Custodian
State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, acts as the Fund’s custodian.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, is the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund.
Fund Counsel
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, serves as counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE
Decisions regarding the placement of orders to purchase and sell investments for the Fund are made by the Adviser. A substantial portion of the transactions in equity securities for the Fund will occur on foreign stock exchanges.
Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment of brokerage commissions. In transactions on stock exchanges in the United States and some foreign exchanges, these commissions are negotiated. However, on many foreign stock exchanges these commissions are fixed. In the case of securities traded in the foreign and domestic over-the-counter markets, there is generally no stated commission, but the price usually includes an undisclosed commission or markup. Over-the-counter transactions will generally be placed directly with a principal market maker, although the Fund may place an over-the-counter order with a broker-dealer if a better price (including commission) and execution are available.
It is anticipated that most purchase and sale transactions involving fixed income securities will be with the issuer or an underwriter or with major dealers in such securities acting as principals. Such transactions are normally effected on a net basis and generally do not involve payment of brokerage commissions. However, the cost of securities purchased from an underwriter usually includes a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Purchases or sales from dealers will normally reflect the spread between the bid and ask price.
The policy of the Fund regarding transactions for purchases and sales of securities is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Fund’s policy is to pay commissions, which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser may rely on its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on their judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable.
In seeking to implement the Fund’s policies, the Adviser places transactions with those brokers and dealers who it believes provide the most favorable prices and which are capable of providing efficient executions. If the Adviser believes such price and execution are obtainable from more than one broker or dealer, it may give consideration to placing transactions with those brokers and dealers who also furnish research or research related services to the Fund or the Adviser. Such services may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: information as to the availability of securities for purchase or sale; statistical or factual information or opinions pertaining to investments; wire services; and appraisals or evaluations of securities. The information and services received by the Adviser from brokers and dealers may be of benefit in the management of accounts of other clients and may not in all cases benefit the Fund directly. While such services are useful and important in supplementing its own research and facilities, the Adviser believes the value of such services is not determinable and does not significantly reduce its expenses.
The Global Realty Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has paid no brokerage commissions.
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has no aggregate holdings of the securities of its regular brokers or dealers (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act) to report.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
In connection with the selection of such brokers or dealers and the placing of such orders, subject to applicable law, brokers or dealers may be selected who also provide brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act) to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. The Adviser is authorized to pay a broker or dealer that provides such brokerage and research services a commission for executing a portfolio transaction for the fund which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker or dealer. The Adviser will only engage in soft dollar or commission sharing transactions that comply with the requirements of Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act.
The Adviser’s research service payment program would use commissions to purchase research services with “intellectual content” such as, statistical, research, and other factual information or services. Examples of these types of research services include: investment research reports; access to analysts; execution systems and trading analytics;
reports or databases containing corporate, fundamental, and technical analyses; portfolio modeling strategies; and economic research services, such as publications, chart services, and advice from economists concerning macroeconomics information, and analytical investment information about particular corporations. If the function or usage of a research service may in part fall outside the “intellectual content” criteria (such as accounting or marketing functions), then the Adviser will only use commissions to pay the portion of the service or research that assists it in the investment decision-making process, but will not use commissions to pay for that portion of a service that provides it with non-”intellectual content.”
Arrangements for the receipt of research services from brokers may create conflicts of interest, such as reducing the expenses of the Adviser or increasing the Fund’s commission costs. Research services furnished to the Adviser by brokers that effect securities transactions for the Fund may be used by the Adviser in servicing other investment companies and accounts which the Adviser manages. Similarly, research services furnished to the Adviser by brokers that effect securities transactions for other investment companies and accounts which the Adviser manages may be used by the Adviser in servicing the Fund. Not all of these research services are used by the Adviser in managing any particular account, including the Fund.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
The Adviser and the Fund maintain portfolio holdings disclosure policies that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the portfolio investments held by the Fund. These portfolio holdings disclosure policies have been approved by the Board. The Fund posts its complete portfolio holdings at www.alpinefunds.com on a quarterly basis. The Fund intends to post its complete portfolio holdings 45 calendar days following the quarter-end. The Fund intends to make its top ten holdings available at www.alpinefunds.com on a monthly basis. The Fund intends to post this information 10 days following each month-end. Such information will remain available until the next month’s or quarter’s holdings are posted.
From time to time rating and ranking organizations such as Standard & Poor’s and Morningstar, Inc. may request complete portfolio holdings information in connection with rating the Fund. Similarly, pension plan sponsors and/or their consultants may request a complete list of portfolio holdings in order to assess the risks of the Fund’s portfolio along with related performance attribution statistics. The Fund believes that these third parties have legitimate objectives in requesting such portfolio holdings information. To prevent such parties from potentially misusing portfolio holdings information, the Fund will generally only disclose such information as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter, with a lag of at least thirty days, as described above. In addition, the Fund’s CCO, or a designated officer of the Trust, may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of portfolio holdings information at differing times and with differing lag times to rating agencies and to pension plan sponsors and/or their consultants, provided that (1) the recipient is subject to a confidentiality agreement, (2) the recipient will utilize the information to reach certain conclusions about the investment management characteristics of the Fund and will not use the information to facilitate or assist in any investment program, and (3) the recipient will not provide access to third parties to this information. Rating and ranking organizations, the Fund’s service providers and pension plan sponsors and/or their consultants and any other entity are subject to these restrictions.
In addition, the Fund’s service providers may receive portfolio holdings information in connection with their services to the Fund. In no event shall the Adviser, its affiliates or employees, or the Fund receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
The furnishing of non-public portfolio holdings information to any third party (other than authorized governmental and regulatory personnel) requires the approval of the CCO. The CCO or a designated officer of the Trust will approve the furnishing of non-public portfolio holdings to a third party only if they consider the furnishing of such information to be in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders. No consideration may be received by the Fund, the Adviser, any affiliate of the Adviser or their employees in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information. The Board receives and reviews annually a list of the persons who receive non-public portfolio holdings information and the purpose for which it is furnished.
TAX INFORMATION
(See also “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” in the Prospectus)
The following is a summary discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to a shareholder of acquiring, holding and disposing of shares of the Fund. This discussion does not address the special tax rules applicable to certain classes of investors, such as tax-exempt entities, foreign investors, insurance companies and financial institutions. This discussion addresses only U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. shareholders who hold their shares as capital assets and does not address all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to particular shareholders in light of their individual circumstances. In addition, the discussion does not address any state, local or foreign tax consequences, and it does not address any U.S. federal tax consequences other than U.S. federal income tax consequences. The discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income tax concerns affecting the Fund and its shareholders, and the discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the specific tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund, including the applicable federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences to them and the effect of possible changes in tax laws.
The Fund intends to qualify for and elect the tax treatment applicable to regulated investment companies (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. (Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).) In order to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to proceeds from securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income (including gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code); and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund’s total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) of (i) any one issuer; (ii) any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by the Fund and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses or (iii) any one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code); and (c) distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income (as defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) for such taxable year in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code, so as to maintain its RIC status and to avoid paying any federal income tax. By so qualifying, the Fund is not subject to federal income tax if it timely distributes its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains. A 4% nondeductible excise tax will be imposed on the Fund to the extent it does not meet certain distribution requirements by the end of each calendar year. The Fund anticipates meeting such distribution requirements.
If, in any taxable year, the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC under the Code or fails to meet the distribution requirement, it will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends will be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a RIC in a subsequent year.
Dividends and other distributions by the Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, any dividend or distribution declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have been paid by the Fund not later than such December 31, provided such dividend is actually paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year.
The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income, and any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers). However, if the Fund retains for investment an amount equal to all or a portion of its net long-term capital gains in excess of its net short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), it will be subject to a corporate tax (at a maximum rate of 35%) on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund will designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the 35% tax paid by the fund on the undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s income. Organizations or persons not subject to federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the fund upon timely filing of appropriate returns or claims for refund.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its capital losses realized after October and its late-year ordinary losses (defined as the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment companies (“PFIC”) losses and other post-December ordinary losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains and other post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
Dividends paid by the Fund from investment company taxable income generally will be taxed to the shareholders as ordinary income or, as discussed below, qualified dividend income, as applicable. Investment company taxable income includes net investment income and net realized short-term gains (if any). Any dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations will constitute a portion of the Fund’s gross investment income. This portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for shareholders that are U.S. corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the amounts of dividends which so qualify.
Distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders (who are not exempt from tax) as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders. Short-term capital gains distributions are taxable to shareholders who are not exempt from tax as ordinary income or qualified dividend income, as discussed below.
Distributions will be taxable as described above to shareholders (who are not exempt from tax), whether made in shares or in cash. Shareholders that receive distributions in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as having received taxable distributions and will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the net asset value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date.
Certain income distributions paid by the Fund to individual or other non-corporate taxpayers are taxed at rates equal to those applicable to net long-term capital gains. This tax treatment applies only if certain holding period requirements and other requirements are satisfied by the shareholder and the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund itself. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” means dividends received by the Fund from certain corporations and qualifying foreign corporations, provided that the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations.
Substitute payments received in lieu of dividends for securities lent out will not constitute qualified dividend income nor qualify for the dividends received deduction (see above).
If an individual receives a regular dividend qualifying for the long-term capital gains rates and such dividend constitutes an “extraordinary dividend,” and the individual subsequently recognizes a loss on the sale or exchange of stock in respect of which the extraordinary dividend was paid, then the loss will be long-term capital loss to the extent of such extraordinary dividend. An “extraordinary dividend” on common stock for this purpose is generally a dividend (i) in an amount greater than or equal to 10% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within an 85-day period or (ii) in an amount greater than 20% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within a 365-day period.
Distributions by the Fund result in a reduction in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Should a distribution reduce the net asset value below a shareholder’s cost basis, such distribution nevertheless would be taxable as ordinary income or capital gain as described above to shareholders (who are not exempt from tax), even though, from an investment standpoint, it may constitute a return of capital. In particular, investors should be careful to consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time includes the amount of the forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing just prior to a distribution will then receive what is in effect a return of capital upon the distribution which will nevertheless be taxable to shareholders subject to taxes.
Upon a sale or exchange of its shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending on its basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the investor’s hands and will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Generally, any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent shares disposed of are replaced within a period of sixty-one days beginning thirty days before and ending thirty days after the shares are disposed of.
All distributions, whether received in shares or cash, must be reported by each shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Each shareholder should consult his or her own tax adviser to determine the state and local tax implications of the Fund’s distributions.
Shareholders who fail to furnish their taxpayer identification numbers to the Fund and to certify as to its correctness and certain other shareholders may be subject to a federal income tax backup withholding requirement on dividends, distributions of capital gains and redemption proceeds paid to them by the Fund. The backup withholding rate is 28%. If the backup withholding provisions are applicable, any such dividends or capital gain distributions to these shareholders, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, and any redemption proceeds will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. Investors may wish to consult their own tax advisers about the applicability of the backup withholding provisions. The foregoing discussion relates solely to U.S. federal income tax law as applicable to U.S. persons (i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates). It does not reflect the special tax consequences to certain taxpayers (e.g., banks, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations and foreign persons).
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax is imposed on net investment income including among other things, interest, dividends and net gains from investments, of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), and estates and trusts.
Shareholders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisers regarding specific questions relating to federal, state and local tax consequences of investing in shares of the Fund.
Special Tax Considerations
The Fund maintains accounts and calculates income in U.S. dollars. In general, the Fund’s transactions in foreign-currency denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in value of a foreign currency.
The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on foreign currencies) are subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses of the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital),
accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding federal income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its transactions, make appropriate tax elections and make appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency, forward contract, option, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules. The Fund anticipates that its hedging activities will not adversely affect its RIC status.
The Fund’s investments in so-called “section 1256 contracts,” such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” nor part of a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund.
In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by the Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Income received by the Fund from sources within various foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax and withholding. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of the stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to the Fund’s shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. Pursuant to such election, shareholders would be required: (a) to treat a proportionate share of dividends paid by the Fund which represent foreign source income received by the Fund plus the foreign taxes paid by the Fund as foreign source income (such arrangement subject to U.S. withholding tax for non-U.S. shareholders); and (b) either to deduct their pro-rata share of foreign taxes in computing their taxable income, or to use it as a foreign tax credit against federal income taxes (but not both). No deduction for foreign taxes could be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions.
The Fund intends to meet for each taxable year the requirements of the Code to “pass through” to its shareholders foreign income taxes paid if it is determined by the Adviser to be beneficial to do so. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to pass through foreign income taxes paid. Each shareholder will be notified within 60 days after the close of each taxable year of the Fund whether the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will pass through for that year, and, if so, the amount of each shareholder’s pro-rata share (by country) of (i) the foreign taxes paid and (ii) the Fund’s gross income from foreign sources. Shareholders who are not liable for federal income taxes, such as retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Code, generally will not be affected by any such “pass through” of foreign tax credits.
Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. In general, gains (and losses) realized on debt instruments will be treated as section 988 gain (or loss) to the extent attributable to changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts and certain foreign
currency options or futures contracts, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss unless the Fund were to elect otherwise.
If the Fund holds (directly or indirectly) one or more “tax credit bonds” (defined below) on one or more specified dates during the Fund’s taxable year, and the Fund satisfies the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund may elect for federal income tax purposes to pass through to shareholders tax credits otherwise allowable to the Fund for that year with respect to such bonds. A tax credit bond is defined in the Code as a “qualified tax credit bond” (which includes a qualified forestry conservation bond, a new clean renewable energy bond, a qualified energy conservation bond, or a qualified zone academy bond, each of which must meet certain requirements specified in the Code), a “Build America Bond” or certain other specified bonds. If the Fund were to make an election, a shareholder of the Fund would be required to include in income and would be entitled to claim as a tax credit an amount equal to a proportionate share of such credits. Certain limitations may apply on the extent to which the credit may be claimed.
The Fund may invest in equity interests of certain entities that may qualify as PFIC. Generally, the income of such companies may become taxable to the Fund prior to the receipt of distributions, or, alternatively, income taxes and interest charges may be imposed on the Fund on “excess distributions” received by the Fund or on gain from the disposition of such investments by the Fund. The Code generally allows the Fund to elect to mark-to-market and recognize gains on such investments at the Fund’s taxable year end. The Fund will take steps to minimize income taxes and interest charges arising from such investments. Application of these rules may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding federal income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its investments in equity interests in PFIC to ensure its ability to comply with these distribution requirements.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards if any may be subject to limitation.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders
Dividends paid by the Fund to foreign shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gains. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a foreign shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a foreign shareholder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the foreign shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the foreign shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A foreign corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A foreign shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.
In general, federal withholding tax will not apply to any gain or income realized by a foreign shareholder in respect of any distributions of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses, exempt-interest dividends, or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.
If the Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, distributions to a foreign shareholder from the Fund attributable to a REIT’s distribution to the Fund of gain from a sale or exchange of a U.S. real property interest and, in the case of a foreign shareholder owning more than 5% of the class of shares throughout either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years, the gain on
redemption will be treated as real property gain subject to additional taxes or withholding and may result in the foreign shareholder having additional filing requirements.
For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2015, properly-reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Fund’s U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long- term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund reports the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.
For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2015, distributions that the Fund reports as “short-term capital gains dividends” or “long-term capital gains dividends” may not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain received from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of distribution. Such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder. Legislation has been proposed to extend this expiration deadline.
A 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on dividends and, beginning in 2017, will be imposed on redemption proceeds paid, to (i) certain foreign financial institutions and investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. Under some circumstances, a foreign shareholder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders, comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts, report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained, agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information, and determine certain other information as to their account holders, or (ii) in the event that an applicable intergovernmental agreement and impending legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder information. Other foreign entities will need to either provide the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply.
The foregoing is only a general discussion of some of the special tax considerations that may apply to the Fund. Shareholders in the Fund are advised to consult with their own tax advisers with respect to the tax considerations, including federal, state and local and foreign tax considerations.
NET ASSET VALUE
The following information supplements that set forth in the Prospectus in the Section titled “MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND - How the Fund Values its Shares.”
The net asset value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate and is determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) each business day.
The net asset value per share is computed by dividing the value of the securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares in the Fund outstanding at such time, as shown below:
Net Assets
|
=
|
Net Asset Value per share
|
Shares Outstanding
|
Equity securities that are traded on a national securities exchange, except those listed on the NASDAQ Global Market®, NASDAQ Global Select Market® and the NASDAQ Capital Market® exchanges (collectively, “NASDAQ”), are valued at the last reported sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded. Securities traded on NASDAQ will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If, on a particular day, an exchange-traded or NASDAQ security does not trade, then the mean between the most recent quoted bid and asked prices will be used.
Each security traded in the over-the-counter market and quoted on the NASDAQ National Market System, is valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”), as determined by NASDAQ, or lacking an NOCP, the last current reported sale price as of the time of valuation by NASDAQ, or lacking any current reported sale on NASDAQ at the time of valuation, at the mean between the most recent bid and asked quotations.
All equity securities that are not traded on a listed exchange are valued at the last sale price in the over-the-counter market. If a non-exchange traded security does not trade on a particular day, then the mean between the last quoted closing bid and asked price will be used.
Except for short-term debt instruments, debt securities are valued by using the closing bid as provided by an independent third-party pricing services or sources (each, a “Pricing Service”). If the closing bid is not readily available, the Pricing Service may provide a price determined by a matrix pricing method. The Pricing Service will provide the pricing information used to calculate the NAV of the Fund. Should Pricing Service pricing information not be readily available for an individual security, the “fair value” of a security or other asset of the fund will be determined utilizing Board approved guidelines. Fixed income debt instruments, such as commercial paper, bankers’ acceptances and U.S. Treasury Bills, having a maturity of less than sixty (60) days are valued at amortized cost, unless the Adviser believes that another valuation is more appropriate. Any discount or premium is accreted or amortized on a straight-line basis until maturity.
The valuations of securities traded on foreign markets and certain fixed income securities will generally be based on prices determined as of the earlier closing time of the markets on which they primarily trade, unless a significant event has occurred. When the fund holds securities or other assets that are denominated in a foreign currency, the fund will normally use the currency exchange rates as of 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The fund uses a fair value model developed by an independent third party pricing service to value foreign equity securities on days when a certain percentage change in the value of a domestic equity security index suggests that the closing prices on foreign exchanges.
Securities that are principally traded in a foreign market are valued at the last current sale price at the time of valuation or lacking any current or reported sale, at the time of valuation, at the mean between the most recent bid and asked quotations as of the close of the appropriate exchange or other designated time. Trading in securities on many non-U.S. securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets is normally completed at various times before the close of business on each day on which the NYSE is open. Trading of these securities may not take place on every NYSE business day. In addition, trading may take place in various foreign markets on Saturdays or on other days when the NYSE is not open and on which the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated. As stated above, if market prices are not readily available or are not reflective of the fair value of the security, the security will be priced at a fair value.
Prices of securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the closing rates of exchange at period end. Amounts related to the purchase and sale of foreign securities and investment income are translated at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.
In absence of a price or the occurrence of events that occur after a foreign exchange closes that affect the value of certain holdings, the “fair value” shall be determined utilizing Board approved guidelines.
An example of how the Fund calculated its net asset value per share for the Institutional Class as of October 28, 2015.
Global Realty Fund
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$10
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=
|
$10
|
|
1
|
|
|
An example of how the Fund calculated its net asset value per share for the Class A as of October 28, 2015.
Global Realty Fund
|
$10
|
=
|
$10
|
|
1
|
|
|
SHAREHOLDER ACCOUNTS
Purchasing Shares
As described under “How to Buy Shares” in the Prospectus, Institutional Class shares of the Fund are offered for sale, without a sales charge, at the net asset value per share next computed after receipt of a purchase order by the Distributor of the Fund’s shares. The Fund does not currently offer Class A shares.
Class A shares are offered for sale at the offering price (net asset value plus any initial sales charge) unless you qualify for waiver as described below. You pay a lower sales charge as the size of your investment increases. You do not pay a sales charge when you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions paid by the Fund. A portion or all of the sales charge may be retained by the Distributor or paid to your broker, dealer or other financial intermediary as a concession. The current sales charge rates and concessions paid are shown in the table below.
|
% of Offering
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% of Net
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Dealer
|
Amount Invested
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Price
|
Amount Invested
|
Concession
|
Less than $25,000
|
5.50%
|
5.82%
|
5.00%
|
$25,000 but less than $50,000
|
5.00%
|
5.26%
|
4.50%
|
$50,000 but less than $100,000
|
4.50%
|
4.71%
|
4.00%
|
$100,000 but less than $250,000
|
3.75%
|
3.90%
|
3.25%
|
$250,000 but less than $500,000
|
2.75%
|
2.83%
|
2.25%
|
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000
|
2.25%
|
2.30%
|
1.75%
|
$1,000,000 and over
|
None*
|
None*
|
1.00%*
|
* |
A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% will be applied if shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchasing Class A shares as part of an investment greater than $1,000,000 if no front-end sales charge was paid at the time of purchase and a concession was paid to the financial intermediary or dealer. |
The Global Realty Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has had no sales charges.
Sales Charge Reduction or Waiver
There are several ways you can combine multiple purchases of Class A shares to reduce or eliminate the sales charge. In order to take advantage of reductions in sales charges that may be available to you when you purchase fund shares in an amount of $25,000 or more, you must inform your financial intermediary if you are eligible for a right of accumulation or a letter of intent. Failure to notify your financial intermediary may result in not receiving the sales charge reduction or elimination to which you are otherwise entitled. Certain records, such as account statements, may be necessary in order to verify your eligibility to reduce or eliminate the sales charge. If you hold fund shares in accounts at two or more financial intermediaries, please contact your financial intermediaries to determine which shares may be combined. For more information, please contact your financial intermediary.
Additionally, the sales charge may be waived for the following persons or reasons:
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Employees of the Adviser or its affiliates and their immediate family, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
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Current and former Trustees of funds advised by the Adviser, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
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The Adviser or its affiliates, for purchases directly through the Fund or its distributor |
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An agent or broker of a dealer that has entered into a selling agreement with the Fund’s distributor for agent of broker’s own account or an account of a relative of any such person, or an account for the benefit of any such person |
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Investors in employee retirement, stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plans |
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Investment advisory clients of the Adviser or its affiliates |
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Registered Investment Advisers and clients of certain investment advisory programs |
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Broker/Dealers and Registered Investment Advisers with clients participating in comprehensive fee programs |
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Financial intermediaries that have entered into contractual agreements with the Fund’s distributor to offer shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers |
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Shares acquired when dividends or capital gains are reinvested in the Fund |
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Shares offered to any other investment company to effect the combination of such company with the Fund by merger, acquisition of assets or otherwise |
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Purchases by shareholders of the Fund investing through self-directed brokerage platforms |
These waivers may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (“CDSC”)
There is no initial sales charge on Class A purchases of $1 million or more, but a CDSC may apply. You will pay a CDSC of 1.00% when you redeem within 12 months of purchasing Class A shares as part of an investment greater than $1,000,000 if no front-end sales charge was paid at the time of purchase and a concession was paid to the financial intermediary or dealer.
That CDSC will be calculated on the lesser of the net asset value of the redeemed share or the aggregate net asset value of the redeemed share at the time of redemption.
You do not pay a CDSC when you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions paid by the Fund. The CDSC may be waived for redemptions by shareholders investing through self-directed brokerage service platforms.
Right of Accumulation
The right of accumulation allows you to combine the current value of your holdings in Class A or Institutional Class shares of the Fund, based on the current offer price, with other qualifying shares that are owned by you, your spouse, your children under the age of 21, or a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account and with the dollar amount of your next purchase of Class A shares or Institutional Class shares, including any applicable sales charge, for purposes of determining whether or which level of sales charge applies. Qualifying shares may include shares held in accounts held at a financial intermediary. Class A shares or Institutional Class shares of the Fund in accounts held through 401(k) plans and similar multi-participant retirement plans, or those accounts which cannot be linked using tax identification numbers, social security numbers or broker identification numbers are not qualifying shares. The right of accumulation may be amended or terminated at any time.
Letter of Intent
If you plan to make an aggregate investment of $25,000 or more over a 13-month period, you may take advantage of breakpoints in sales charges for aggregate purchases of Class A shares by entering into a non-binding letter of intent. The initial investment must meet the minimum initial investment requirement. Generally, purchases of Class A shares of the Fund that are purchased during the 13-month period by you, your spouse, your children under the age of 21, or a trustee or fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account are eligible for inclusion under the letter of intent.
Qualifying shares may include shares held in accounts held at a financial intermediary. Class A shares of the Fund in accounts held through 401(k) plans and similar multi-participant retirement plans, or those accounts which cannot be linked using tax identification numbers, social security numbers or broker identification numbers are not qualifying shares. During the term of the letter of intent, the Fund will hold shares in an escrow account for payment of the higher sales load if the breakpoint amount is not purchased within 13 months. If you do not purchase the breakpoint amount of Class A shares within the 13-month period, the Fund will redeem the applicable sales charge on the Class A shares from the shares held in escrow. When a shareholder elects to participate in a letter of intent, the Class A shares purchased within a ninety day period prior to that election will be included in satisfying the aggregate investment requirement. The letter of intent may be amended or terminated at any time. You may cancel a letter of intent by notifying your financial intermediary in writing. Complete liquidation of purchases made under a letter of intent prior to meeting the breakpoint investment amount, moreover, will result in the cancellation of the letter.
In the case of Fund whose shares are sold with a sales charge and where you meet the investment requirements under the letter of intent, the broker-dealer’s sales commissions and reallowance will be paid based upon a reduced sales charge. If you do not meet the investment requirements, you will be charged the difference between the sales charge that you paid and the sales charge that would apply to the actual value of shares you purchased. A certain portion of your shares will be held in escrow by the Fund’s Transfer Agent for this purpose.
Reinstatement Privilege
The reinstatement privilege permits shareholders to purchase shares without a sales charge within 120 days of redeeming shares of an equal or greater amount.
Redeeming Shares
Redemption proceeds are normally paid as described in the Prospectus. However, the payment of redemption proceeds by the Fund may be postponed for more than seven days or the right of redemption suspended at times (a) when the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekends and holidays, (b) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to determine fairly the value of its net assets, (d) during any other period when the SEC, by order, so permits for the protection of shareholders. Applicable rules and regulations of the SEC will govern as to whether the conditions described in (b) or (c) exist, or (e) under certain circumstances when there has been a determination to liquidate the Fund, pursuant to SEC rule or order. In addition, in the event that the Board of Trustees determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of remaining shareholders of the Fund to pay any redemption or redemptions in cash, a redemption payment by the Fund may be made in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of portfolio securities, subject to applicable rules of the SEC. Any securities distributed in-kind will be readily marketable and will be valued, for purposes of the redemption, in the same manner as such securities are normally valued in computing net asset value per share. In the unlikely event that shares are redeemed in-kind, the redeeming shareholder would incur transaction costs in converting the distributed securities to cash. The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-l under the 1940 Act and is therefore obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of the net asset value of the Fund during any 90 day period for any one shareholder.
Exchange Privilege
As described under “Exchange Privilege” in the Fund’s Prospectus, shareholders of the Fund may exchange their shares of for shares of the another Alpine Fund, based upon the relative net asset values per share of the two funds at the time the exchange is effected.
You may only exchange Class A shares for Class A shares and Institutional Class shares for Institutional Class shares. The Fund may modify or terminate the exchange privilege at any time.
Short-Term Trading Practices
The Board of Trustees has determined that the interests of long-term shareholders and the Fund’s ability to manage its investments may be adversely affected when shares are repeatedly bought, sold or exchanged in response to short-term market fluctuations — also known as “market timing.” The Fund is not designed for market timing organizations or other entities using programmed or frequent purchases and sales or exchanges. Excessive purchase and sale or exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, increase expenses and taxes and may have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund and its shareholders. For example, large flows of cash into and out of the Fund may require the Adviser to allocate a significant amount of assets to cash or other short-term investments or sell securities, rather than maintaining such assets in securities selected to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Frequent trading may cause the Fund to sell securities at less favorable prices, and transaction costs can reduce the Fund’s performance.
The Fund that invests in non-U.S. securities is subject to the risk that an investor may seek to take advantage of a delay between the change in value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the determination of the Fund’s net asset value as a result of different closing times of U.S. and non-U.S. markets by buying or selling Fund shares at a price that does not reflect their true value. A similar risk exists for funds that invest in securities of small capitalization companies, securities of issuers located in emerging markets or high yield securities (junk bonds) that are thinly traded and therefore may have actual values that differ from their market prices. This short-term arbitrage activity can reduce the return received by long-term shareholders.
The Fund discourages market timing and seeks to prevent frequent purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares that it determines may be detrimental to the Fund or long-term shareholders. The Board of Trustees has developed and adopted a market timing policy which takes steps to reduce the frequency and effect of these activities in the Fund. These steps include, monitoring trading activity and using fair value pricing, as determined by the Board of Trustees, when the Adviser determines current market prices are not readily available, and a 1.00% redemption fee for the Fund on shares held less than 60 days. These techniques may change from time to time as determined by the Fund in its sole discretion.
The Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to identify trading practices as abusive. If as a result of its own investigation, information provided by a financial intermediary or other third party, or otherwise, the Fund believes, in its sole discretion, that your short-term trading is excessive or that you are engaging in market timing activity, it reserves the right to reject any specific purchase or exchange order. If the Fund rejects your purchase or exchange order, you will not be able to execute that transaction, and the Fund will not be responsible for any losses you therefore may suffer. In addition, any redemptions or exchanges that you make (as a result of the activity described above or otherwise) will be subject to any and all redemption fees.
For transactions placed directly with the Fund, the Fund may consider the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control for the purpose of enforcing these policies. Transactions placed through the same financial intermediary on an omnibus basis may be deemed part of a group for the purpose of this policy and may be rejected in whole or in part by the Fund. Certain accounts, such as omnibus accounts and accounts at financial intermediaries, however, include multiple investors and such accounts typically provide the Fund with net purchase or redemption and exchange requests on any given day where purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated may not be known by the Fund. While the Fund monitors for market timing activity, the Fund may be unable to identify such activities because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to locate and eliminate market timers from the Fund.
In addition, the Fund’s ability to monitor trades that are placed by individual shareholders within group, or omnibus, accounts maintained by financial intermediaries is severely limited because the Fund does not have access to the underlying shareholder account information. In this regard, in compliance with Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Fund has entered into Information Sharing Agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which these financial intermediaries are required to provide to the Fund, at the Fund’s request, certain customer and identity trading information relating to its customers investing in the Fund through non-disclosed or omnibus accounts. The Fund will use this information to attempt to identify abusive trading practices. Financial intermediaries are contractually required to follow any instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit future purchases from customers that are found to have engaged in abusive trading in violation of the Fund’s policies. However, the Fund cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided to them from financial intermediaries and cannot ensure that they will always be able to detect abusive trading practices that occur through non-disclosed and omnibus accounts. As a consequence, the Fund’s ability to monitor and discourage abusive trading practices in omnibus accounts may be limited.
Due to the complexity and subjectivity involved in identifying abusive trading activity and the volume of shareholder transactions the Fund handle, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s efforts will identify all trades or trading practices that may be considered abusive.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Adviser and the Trust have adopted a joint Code of Ethics pursuant to Section 204A and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor has also adopted a Code of Ethics. Each Code of Ethics applies to the personal investing activities of the trustees, directors, officers and certain employees of the Trust, the Adviser or the Distributor (“Access Persons”), as applicable. Rule 17j-1 and each Code of Ethics is designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Each Code of Ethics permits Access Persons to trade securities for their own accounts and generally requires them to report their personal securities transactions. Each Code is included as an exhibit to the Trust’s registration statement, which is filed herein.
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
The Board of Trustees of the Alpine Funds has approved the delegation of the authority to vote proxies relating to the securities held in the portfolios of the Fund to the Adviser after the Board reviewed and considered the proxy voting policies and procedures used by the Adviser which uses an independent service provider, as described below.
The Adviser’s goal in performing this service is to make proxy voting decisions: (i) to vote or not to vote proxies in a manner that serves the best economic interests of the Fund; and (ii) that avoid the influence of conflicts of interest. To implement this goal, the Adviser has adopted proxy voting guidelines (the “Proxy Voting Guidelines”) to assist it in making proxy voting decisions and in developing procedures for effecting those decisions. The Proxy Voting Guidelines are designed to ensure that where the Adviser has the authority to vote proxies, all legal, fiduciary, and contractual obligations will be met.
The Proxy Voting Guidelines address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures and the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, and various shareholder proposals.
Policies of the Adviser
The Adviser has delegated to Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), an independent service provider, the administration of proxy voting for the Fund’s portfolio securities directly managed by the Adviser, subject to oversight by the Adviser’s Proxy Manager (in his or her absence the Director of Institutional Operations). ISS provides proxy-voting services to many asset managers on a global basis. The Adviser has reviewed, and will continue to review annually, the relationship with ISS and the quality and effectiveness of such services provided by ISS.
Specifically, ISS assists the Adviser in the proxy voting and corporate governance oversight process by developing and updating the “ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines,” which are incorporated into the Fund’s Proxy Voting Guidelines by reference, and by providing research and analysis, recommendations regarding votes, operational implementation, and
recordkeeping and reporting services. The Adviser’s decision to retain ISS is based principally on the view that the services that ISS provides, subject to oversight by the Adviser, generally will result in proxy voting decisions which serve the best economic interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Adviser has reviewed, analyzed, and determined that the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines are consistent with the views of the Adviser on the various types of proxy proposals. When the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines do not cover a specific proxy issue and ISS does not provide a recommendation, ISS will notify the Adviser; and the Adviser will use its best judgment in voting proxies on behalf of the Fund’s shareholders, consistent with the Proxy Voting Guidelines. The ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines can be found on its website (http://www.issgovernance.com/policy-gateway/2015-policy-information/).
Conflicts of Interest
The Adviser does not engage in investment banking, administration or management of corporate retirement plans, or any other activity that is likely to create a potential conflict of interest. In addition, because Fund proxies are voted by ISS pursuant to the pre-determined ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines, the Adviser generally does not make an actual determination of how to vote a particular proxy, and, therefore, proxies voted on behalf of the Fund do not reflect any conflict of interest. Nevertheless, the Proxy Voting Guidelines address the possibility of such a conflict of interest arising.
The Proxy Voting Guidelines provide that, if a proxy proposal were to create a conflict of interest between the interests of the Fund and those of the Adviser (or between the Fund and those of any of the Adviser’s affiliates), then the proxy should be voted strictly in conformity with the recommendation of ISS. To monitor compliance with this policy, any proposed or actual deviation from a recommendation of ISS must be reported to the Proxy Manager and the Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”) for the Adviser. The Proxy Manager and CCO for the Adviser will then provide guidance concerning the proposed deviation and whether a deviation presents any potential conflict of interest. If the Adviser then casts a proxy vote that deviates from a ISS recommendation, the affected Fund (or other appropriate Fund authority) will be given a report of this deviation.
Circumstances Under Which Proxies Will Not Be Voted
The Adviser, through ISS, will attempt to process every vote for all domestic and foreign proxies that it receives; however, there may be cases in which the Adviser will not process a proxy because it is impractical or too expensive to do so. For example, the Adviser will not process a proxy in connection with a foreign security if the cost of voting a foreign proxy outweighs the benefit of voting the foreign proxy, when the Adviser has not been given enough time to process the vote, or when a sell order for the foreign security is outstanding and proxy voting would impede the sale of the foreign security. Also, the Adviser generally will not seek to recall the securities on loan for the purpose of voting the securities unless the Adviser determines that the issue presented for a vote warrants recalling the security.
More Information
The actual voting records relating to the Fund’s portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available without charge, upon request by calling toll-free, 1-888-785-5578 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling 1-888-785-5578 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI and therefore does not have financial information.
APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The ratings of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group and Fitch Ratings represent their opinions as to the quality of various debt obligations. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt obligations with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while debt obligations of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield. As described by the rating agencies, ratings are generally given to securities at the time of issuances. While the rating agencies may from time to time revise such ratings, they undertake no obligation to do so.
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. Global Rating Scales
Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default.1 Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments.2
Moody’s differentiates structured finance ratings from fundamental ratings (i.e., ratings on nonfinancial corporate, financial institution, and public sector entities) on the global long-term scale by adding (sf ) to all structured finance ratings. The (sf ) indicator was introduced on August 11, 2010 and explained in a special comment entitled, “Moody’s Structured Finance Rating Scale.” The addition of (sf ) to structured finance ratings should eliminate any presumption that such ratings and fundamental ratings at the same letter grade level will behave the same. The (sf ) indicator for structured finance security ratings indicates that otherwise similarly rated structured finance and fundamental securities may have different risk characteristics. Through its current methodologies, however, Moody’s aspire to achieve broad expected equivalence in structured finance and fundamental rating performance when measured over a long period of time.
Description of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.’s Global Long-Term Obligation Ratings:
Aaa-Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa-Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A-Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa-Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba-Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B-Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
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For certain structured finance, preferred stock and hybrid securities in which payment default events are either not defined or do not match investors’ expectations for timely payment, the ratings reflect the likelihood of impairment and the expected financial loss in the event of impairment.
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For certain structured finance, preferred stock and hybrid securities in which payment default events are either not defined or do not match investors’ expectations for timely payment, the ratings reflect the likelihood of impairment.
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Caa-Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca-Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C-Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.
* * By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Description of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.’s Global Short-Term Obligation Ratings:
P-1-Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2-Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3-Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP-Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Description of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.’s US Municipal Ratings:
US Municipal Short-Term Obligation Ratings:
The Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1-This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2-This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3-This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
US Municipal Demand Obligation Ratings:
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (“VMIG”) scale.
The rating transitions on the VMIG scale, differ from those on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support generally will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1-This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2-This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3-This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG-This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group’s Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor’s analysis of the following considerations: (1) likelihood of payment—capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; (2) nature of and provisions of the obligation; and (3) protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights.
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA-An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA-An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A-An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB-An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC, and C-Obligations rated “BB”, “B”, “CCC”, “CC”, and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB-An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B-An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC-An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC-An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor’s expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C-An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.
D-An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group’s Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:
Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity date of no more than 365 days - including commercial paper.
A-1-A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2-A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3-A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B-A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C-A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D-A short-term obligation rated “D” is in payment default. The “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ’D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group’s Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings Definitions:
A Standard & Poor’s U.S. municipal note rating reflects Standard & Poor’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, Standard & Poor’s analysis will review the following considerations: (1) amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and (2) source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1-Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2-Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3-Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group’s Dual Ratings:
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, “AAA/A-1+” or “A-1+/A-1”). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, “SP-1+/A-1+”).
Description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group’s Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)
Standard & Poor’s uses six qualifiers that limit the scope of a rating. The structure of the transaction can require the use of a qualifier such as a “p” qualifier, which indicates the rating addressed the principal portion of the obligation only. Likewise, the qualifier can indicate a limitation on the type of information used, such as “pi” for public information. A qualifier appears as a suffix and is part of the rating.
Federal deposit insurance limit: “L” qualifier. Ratings qualified with “L” apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.
Principal Payment: “p” qualifier. This suffix is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The “p” suffix indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only and that the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.
Public Information Ratings: “pi” qualifier. Ratings with a “pi” suffix are based on an analysis of an issuer’s published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer’s management and therefore may be based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a “pi” suffix. Ratings with a “pi” suffix are reviewed annually based on a new year’s financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer’s credit quality.
Preliminary Ratings: “prelim” qualifier. Preliminary ratings, with the “prelim” suffix, may be assigned to obligors or obligations, including financial programs, in the circumstances described below. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt by Standard & Poor’s of appropriate documentation. Standard & Poor’s reserves the right not to issue a final rating. Moreover, if a final rating is issued, it may differ from the preliminary rating. (1) Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. (2) Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor’s policies. (3) Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations that will likely be issued upon the obligor’s emergence from bankruptcy or similar reorganization,
based on late-stage reorganization plans, documentation and discussions with the obligor. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligors. These ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the reorganized or post-bankruptcy issuer as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s). (4) Preliminary ratings may be assigned to entities that are being formed or that are in the process of being independently established when, in Standard & Poor’s opinion, documentation is close to final. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to these entities’ obligations. (5) Preliminary ratings may be assigned when a previously unrated entity is undergoing a well-formulated restructuring, recapitalization, significant financing or other transformative event, generally at the point that investor or lender commitments are invited. The preliminary rating may be assigned to the entity and to its proposed obligation(s). These preliminary ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the obligor, as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s), assuming successful completion of the transformative event. Should the transformative event not occur, Standard & Poor’s would likely withdraw these preliminary ratings. (6) A preliminary recovery rating may be assigned to an obligation that has a preliminary issue credit rating.
Termination Structures: “t” qualifier. This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.
Description of Fitch Ratings’ Corporate Finance Long-Term Obligation Ratings:
Ratings of individual securities or financial obligations of a corporate issuer address relative vulnerability to default on an ordinal scale. In addition, for financial obligations in corporate finance, a measure of recovery given default on that liability is also included in the rating assessment. This notably applies to covered bonds ratings, which incorporate both an indication of the probability of default and of the recovery given a default of this debt instrument,
The relationship between issuer scale and obligation scale assumes an historical average recovery of between 30%-50% on the senior, unsecured obligations of an issuer. As a result, individual obligations of entities, such as corporations, are assigned ratings higher, lower, or the same as that entity’s issuer rating or IDR. At the lower end of the ratings scale, Fitch Ratings now additionally publishes explicit Recovery Ratings in many cases to complement issuer and obligation ratings.
AAA: Highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. “BB” ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.
B: Highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.†.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility †.
CC: Default of some kind appears probable†.
C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include†:
a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;
b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or
c. Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.
RD: Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:
a.
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the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;
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b.
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the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;
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c.
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the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or
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d.
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execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.
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D: Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.
Note: The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.
The subscript “emr” is appended to a rating to denote embedded market risk which is beyond the scope of the rating. The designation is intended to make clear that the rating solely addresses the counterparty risk of the issuing bank. It is not meant to indicate any limitation in the analysis of the counterparty risk, which in all other respects follows published Fitch criteria for analyzing the issuing financial institution. Fitch does not rate these instruments where the principal is to any degree subject to market risk.
Description of Fitch Ratings’ Structured, Project & Public Finance Long-Term Obligation Ratings:
Ratings of structured finance, project finance and public finance obligations on the long-term scale, including the financial obligations of sovereigns, consider the obligations’ relative vulnerability to default. These ratings are typically assigned to an individual security or tranche in a transaction and not to an issuer.
AAA: Highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative. “BB” ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.
B: Highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.
CCC: Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.
C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default appears imminent or inevitable.
D: Default. Indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following: (1) failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation; (2) the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or (2) the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.
Structured Finance Defaults: “Imminent” default, categorized under “C”, typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. Alternatively where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.
Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation’s documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the “C” category.
Structured Finance Write-downs: Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency’s opinion, irreversible “write-down” of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of “D” will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the “write-down” may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be “written up” again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of “C” will typically be as signed. Should the “write-down” then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the “write-down” later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to “D”.
Notes: In the case of structured and project finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability.
The suffix “sf” denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction. For an explanation of how Fitch determines structured finance ratings, please see our criteria available at www.Fitchratings.com.
In the case of public finance, the ratings do not address the loss given default of the rated liability, focusing instead on the vulnerability to default of the rated liability.
The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” Long-Term Rating category, or categories below “B”.
Description of Fitch Ratings’ Corporate, Public and Structured Finance Short-Term Obligation Ratings:
A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.
F1: Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
Notes to Fitch Ratings’ Long-Term and Short-Term Obligation Ratings:
Rating Watch: Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as “Positive”, indicating a potential upgrade, “Negative”, for a potential downgrade, or “Evolving”, if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action.
A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period. The event driving the Watch may be either anticipated or have already occurred, but in both cases, the exact rating implications remain undetermined. The Watch period is typically used to gather further information and/or subject the information to further analysis. Additionally, a Watch may be used where the rating implications are already clear, but where a triggering event (e.g. shareholder or regulatory approval) exists. The Watch will typically extend to cover the period until the triggering event is resolved or its outcome is predictable with a high enough degree of certainty to permit resolution of the Watch.
Rating Watches can be employed by all analytical groups and are applied to the ratings of individual entities and/or individual instruments. At the lowest categories of speculative grade (“CCC”, “CC” and “C”) the high volatility of credit profiles may imply that almost all ratings should carry a Watch. Watches are nonetheless only applied selectively in these categories, where a committee decides that particular events or threats are best communicated by the addition of the Watch designation.
Rating Outlook: Ratings Outlooks indicate the direction a rating is likely to move over a one- to two-year period. They reflect financial or other trends that have not yet reached the level that would trigger a rating action, but which may do so if such trends continue. The majority of Outlooks are generally Stable, which is consistent with the historical migration experience of ratings over a one- to two-year period. Positive or Negative rating Outlooks do not imply that a rating change is inevitable and, similarly, ratings with Stable Outlooks can be raised or lowered without a prior revision to the Outlook, if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, where the fundamental trend has strong, conflicting elements of both positive and negative, the Rating Outlook may be described as Evolving.
Outlooks are currently applied on the long-term scale to issuer ratings in corporate finance (including sovereigns, industrials, utilities, financial institutions and insurance companies) and public finance outside the U.S.; to issue ratings in public finance in the U.S.; to certain issues in project finance; to Insurer Financial Strength Ratings; to issuer and/or issue ratings in a number of National Rating scales; and to the ratings of structured finance transactions and covered bonds. Outlooks are not applied to ratings assigned on the short-term scale and are applied selectively to ratings in the “CCC”, “CC” and “C” categories. Defaulted ratings typically do not carry an Outlook.
Deciding When to Assign Rating Watch or Outlook
Timing is informative but not critical to the choice of a Watch rather than an Outlook. A discrete event that is largely clear and the terms of which are defined, but which will not happen for more than six months – such as a lengthy regulatory approval process – would nonetheless likely see ratings placed on Watch rather than a revision to the Outlook.
An Outlook revision may, however, be deemed more appropriate where a series of potential event risks has been identified, none of which individually warrants a Watch but which cumulatively indicate heightened probability of a rating change over the following one to two years.
A revision to the Outlook may also be appropriate where a specific event has been identified, but where the conditions and implications of that event are largely unclear and subject to high execution risk over an ex tended period – for example a proposed, but politically controversial, privatization.
Expected Ratings: Where a rating is referred to as “expected”, alternatively referred to as “expects to rate” or suffixed as (“EXP”), this indicates that a full rating has been assigned based upon the agency’s expectations regarding final documentation, typically based upon a review of the final draft documentation provided by the issuer. If such final documentation is received and is as expected, the expected rating will typically be converted to a final rating. Fitch may also employ “expects to rate” language for new issuers (currently unrated) for ratings that are assigned in the course of a restructuring, refinancing or corporate reorganization. The “expects to rate” will reflect and refer to the rating level expected following the conclusion of the proposed operation (debt issuance, restructure, or merger). While expected ratings typically convert to final ratings within a short time, determined by timing of transaction closure, in the period between assignment of an expected rating and a final rating, expected ratings may be raised, lowered or placed on Rating Watch or withdrawn, as with final ratings.
Private Ratings: Fitch Ratings also prepares a limited number of private ratings, for example for entities with no publicly traded debt, or where the rating is required for internal benchmarking or regulatory purposes. These ratings are generally provided directly to the rated entity, which is then responsible for ensuring that any party to whom it discloses the private rating is updated when any change in the rating occurs.
Private ratings undergo the same analysis, committee process and surveillance as published ratings, unless otherwise disclosed as “point-in-time” in nature.
Program Ratings: Program ratings assigned to corporate and public finance note issuance programs (e.g. medium-term note programs) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program.
“Interest-Only” Ratings: Interest-only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.
“Principal-Only” Ratings: Principal-only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive its initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.
“Rate of Return” Ratings: Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.
“Unenhanced” Ratings: Unenhanced ratings reflect the underlying creditworthiness of financial instruments absent any credit enhancement that may be provided through bond insurance, financial guarantees, dedicated letters of credit, liquidity facilities, or intercept mechanisms.
In some cases, Fitch may choose to assign an unenhanced rating along with credit rating based on enhancement. The unenhanced rating indicates the creditworthiness of the financial instrument without considering any benefit of such enhancement. Financial obligations may be enhanced by a guarantee instrument provided by a rated third party.
Non-Credit Rating Scales: In addition, Fitch Ratings provides specialist ratings on other topics. Operational risk ratings are assigned to servicers of commercial and residential mortgages and other asset types.
Asset manager ratings opine on the relative operational and financial capabilities of asset managers, trustees and others. Fund Credit and/or Volatility Ratings are assigned to fund’s or local government investment pool’s portfolio. Many of these ratings are offered internationally and in some cases on a national basis applying appropriate ratings modifiers and identifiers.
ALPINE EQUITY TRUST
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits.
Number Description
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(1) |
Certificate of Amendment to Declaration of Trust is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s previous Registration Statements on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). |
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(2) |
Certificate of Designation dated April 13, 1998 is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment (“PEA”) No. 19 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on October 23, 1998. |
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(3) |
Amended Certificate of Designation dated December 14, 1998 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 20 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 1998. |
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(4) |
Certificate of Designation dated December 17, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(5) |
Restated Certificate of Designation dated February 25, 2011 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 44 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2011. |
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(6) |
Certificate of Designation dated September 27, 2011 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 44 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2011. |
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(7) |
Certificate of Designation dated July 31, 2015 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 54 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 2015. |
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(8) |
Restated Certificate of Designation dated September 30, 2015 is filed herewith.
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(9) |
Amended and Restated Designation of Classes of Shares dated October 20, 2015 is filed herewith.
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(1) |
Bylaws are incorporated by reference to previous Registration Statements filed with the SEC. |
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(2) |
Amendment to Bylaws updated September 28, 1998 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 19 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on October 23, 1998. |
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(3) |
Amendment No. 2 to the Bylaws dated July 31, 2015 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 54 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 2015. |
(c) |
Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders |
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(1) |
Rights of shareholders as described in Section 6.2 of the Declaration of Trust are incorporated by reference to the previous Registration Statements filed with the SEC. |
(d) |
Investment Advisory Agreement |
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(1) |
Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 17, 1998, as amended September 22, 2008, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 34 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 29, 2008. |
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(2) |
Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 31, 2015 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 54 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 2015. |
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(3) |
Form of Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to Alpine Global Realty Growth & Income Fund is filed herewith. |
(e) |
Distribution Agreement |
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(1) |
Form of Distribution Agreement dated December 16, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
(f) |
Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts |
(1) Not applicable.
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(1) |
Master Custodian Agreement dated November 18, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
(h) |
Other Material Contracts |
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(1) |
Administration Agreement |
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(a) |
Administration Agreement dated November 18, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(b) |
Form of Amendment No. 1 dated to the Administration Agreement dated November 18, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(2) |
Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement |
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(a) |
Form of Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated December 8, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(b) |
Form of Amendment No. 1 to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated December 8, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(3) |
Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement |
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(a) |
Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement dated February 28, 2015 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 54 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 2015. |
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(b) |
Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement dated July 31, 2015 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 54 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on September 1, 2015. |
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(c) |
Form of Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement is filed herewith. |
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(a) |
Power of Attorney is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(b) |
Power of Attorney is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 48 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on February 28, 2013. |
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(a) |
Form of Special Custody and Pledge Agreement dated December 1, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(b) |
Form of New York Lending Agreement dated December 1, 2010 is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. |
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(1) |
Consent and opinion of Counsel is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 44 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2011. |
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(2) |
Opinion and consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP as to the legality of the shares being registered is filed herewith. |
(j) |
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
(k) |
Omitted Financial Statements |
(l) |
Agreement Relating to Initial Capital |
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(1) |
Distribution Plan of Class A Shares of the Alpine Equity Trust is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 43 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on October 24, 2011. |
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(2) |
Amended Distribution Plan of Class A Shares of the Alpine Equity Trust is filed herewith. |
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(1) |
Rule 18f-3 Plan is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 43 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on October 24, 2011. |
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(1) |
Joint Code of Ethics dated July 1, 2014, is incorporated by reference to PEA No. 52 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on February 28, 2015. |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant.
No person is directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.
Item 30. Indemnification.
Article XI of the Registrant’s By-laws contains the following provisions regarding indemnification of Trustees and officers:
SECTION 11.1 Actions Against Trustees or Officers. The Trust shall indemnify any individual who is a present or former Trustee or officer of the Trust and who, by reason of his position as such, was, is, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than any action or suit by or in the right of the Trust) against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the claim, action, suit, or proceeding, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon the plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
SECTION 11.2 Derivative Actions Against Trustees or Officers. The Trust shall indemnify any individual who is a present or former Trustee or officer of the Trust and who, by reason of his position as such, was, is, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or on behalf of the Trust to obtain a judgment or decree in its favor, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of the action or suit, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the individual has been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the Trust, except to the extent that the court in which the action or suit was brought determines upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for those expenses which the court shall deem proper, provided such Trustee or officer is not adjudged to be liable by reason of his willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
SECTION 11.3 Expenses of Defense. In defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 11.1 or 11.2 or in defense of any claim, issue, or matter therein, a Trustee or officer of the Trust who reasonably believed his or her action to be in the best interests of the Trust shall be indemnified against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith, subject to the requirements of section 11.4.
SECTION 11.4 Required Standard of Conduct.
(a) Unless a court orders otherwise, any indemnification under Section 11.1 or 11.2 may be made by the Trust only as authorized in the specific case after a determination that indemnification of the Trustee or officer is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 11.1 or 11.2. The determination shall be made by: (i) the Trustees, by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Trustees who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding; or if the required quorum is not obtainable, or if a quorum of disinterested Trustees so directs, (ii) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
(b) Nothing contained in this Article XI shall be construed to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office (any such conduct being hereinafter called “Disabling Conduct”). No indemnification shall be made pursuant to this Article XI unless:
(i) There is a final determination on the merits by a court or other body before whom the action, suit or proceeding was brought that the individual to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct; or
(ii) In the absence of such a judicial determination, there is a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that such individual was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, which determination shall be made by:
(A) A majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in section 2(a) (19) of the 1940 Act, nor parties to the action, suit or proceeding; or
(B) An independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
SECTION 11.5 Advance Payments. Notwithstanding any provision of this Article XI, any advance payment of expenses by the Trust to any Trustee or officer of the Trust shall be made only upon the undertaking by or on behalf of such Trustee or officer to repay the advance unless it is ultimately determined that he is entitled to indemnification as above provided, and only if one of the following conditions is met:
(a) the Trustee or officer to be indemnified provides a security for his undertaking; or
(b) The Trust is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or
(c) There is a determination, based on a review of readily available facts, that there is reason to believe that the Trustee or officer to be indemnified ultimately will be entitled to indemnification, which determination shall be made by:
(i) A majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in Section 2(a) (19) of the 1940 Act, nor parties to the action, suit or proceeding; or
(ii) An independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
SECTION 11.6 Former Trustees and Officers. The indemnification provided by this Article XI shall continue as to an individual who has ceased to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust and inure to the benefit of the legal representatives of such individual and shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust may be entitled under any agreement, vote of Trustees or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office as such; provided, that no Person may satisfy any right of indemnity granted herein or to which he may be otherwise entitled, except out of the Trust Property, and no Shareholder shall be personally liable with respect to any claim for indemnity.
SECTION 11.7 Insurance. The Trust may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee, or agent of the Trust, against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such. However, the Trust shall not purchase insurance to indemnify any Trustee or officer against liability for any conduct in respect of which the 1940 Act prohibits the Trust itself from indemnifying him.
SECTION 11.8 Other Rights to Indemnification. The indemnification provided for herein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any By-Law, agreement, vote of Shareholders or disinterested Trustees or otherwise.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser.
The information required by this item with respect to Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC is incorporated by reference to the Form ADV (File No. 801-55110) of Alpine Management & Research, LLC. The information required by this item with respect to Saxon Woods Advisors, LLC is incorporated by reference to the Form ADV (File No. 801-56910) of Saxon Woods Advisors, LLC.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter.
(a) |
Quasar Distributors, LLC, the Registrant’s principal underwriter, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies: |
Fund Name
|
Fund Name
|
Fund Name
|
1919 Funds
|
Edgar Lomax Value Fund
|
Perritt Funds, Inc.
|
AC One China Fund
|
Evermore Global Investors Trust
|
PIA Funds
|
Academy Fund Trust
|
FactorShares Trust
|
Poplar Forest Funds
|
Academy Asset ETF Funds
|
Falah Capital
|
Port Street Funds
|
Advantus Mutual Funds
|
First American Funds, Inc.
|
Portfolio 21
|
Aegis Funds
|
Fort Pitt Capital Group, Inc.
|
Primecap Odyssey Funds
|
Akre Funds
|
Fund X Funds
|
Prospector Funds
|
Allied Asset Advisors Funds
|
Geneva Advisors Funds
|
Provident Mutual Funds, Inc.
|
Alpha Funds
|
Glenmede Fund, Inc.
|
Purisima Funds
|
AlphaClone ETF Fund
|
Glenmede Portfolios
|
Pzena Funds
|
AlphaMark ETFs
|
GoodHaven Funds
|
Rainier Funds
|
Alpha Architect Funds
|
Great Lakes Funds
|
RBC Funds Trust
|
Alpine Equity Trust
|
Greenspring Fund
|
Reinhart Funds
|
Alpine Income Trust
|
Guinness Atkinson Funds
|
Rockefeller Funds
|
Alpine Series Trust
|
Harding Loevner Funds
|
Rothschild Funds
|
American Trust
|
Hennessy Funds Trust
|
Samson Funds
|
Angel Oak Funds
|
Hodges Funds
|
Scharf Funds
|
Appleton Group
|
Hotchkis & Wiley Funds
|
Schooner Investment Group
|
Appleton Partners Inc
|
Huber Funds
|
Semper Funds
|
Balter Liquid Alternatives Funds
|
Infinity Q Funds
|
Shenkman Funds
|
Barrett Growth Fund
|
Intrepid Capital Management
|
Smith Group Funds
|
Barrett Opportunity Fund
|
IronBridge Funds
|
Snow Capital Family of Funds
|
Becker Value Equity Fund
|
Jacob Funds, Inc.
|
Sound Point Funds
|
Boston Common Funds
|
Jensen Funds
|
Strategic Income Funds
|
Brandes Investment Trust
|
Kellner Funds
|
Stone Ridge Trust III
|
Bridge Builder Trust
|
Kirr Marbach Partners Funds, Inc
|
Stone Ridge Funds
|
Bridges Investment Fund, Inc.
|
Lawson Kroeker Funds
|
Stone Ridge Trust II
|
Bright Rock Funds
|
LKCM Funds
|
Thomas Crown Funds
|
Brookfield Investment Funds
|
LoCorr Investment Trust
|
Thomas White Funds
|
Brown Advisory Funds
|
MainGate MLP Funds
|
Thompson IM Funds, Inc.
|
Buffalo Funds
|
Matrix Asset Advisors, Inc.
|
Tiedemann Funds
|
Bushido Funds
|
Maydenbauer Dividend Growth Fund
|
TorrayResolute Funds
|
CAN SLIM Select Growth Fund
|
McKinley Funds
|
Tortoise Funds
|
Capital Advisors Funds
|
MD Sass
|
Trust and Fiduciary Management Services ETF
|
CG Funds Trust
|
Monetta Trust
|
Tygh Capital Management
|
Chase Funds
|
Morgan Dempsey Funds
|
USA Mutuals Funds
|
Coho Partners
|
Muhlenkamp Fund
|
US Global ETFs
|
Collins Capital Funds
|
Muzinich Funds
|
Validea Funds
|
Compass EMP
|
Nicholas Funds
|
Vident Funds
|
Congress Funds
|
Nuance Funds
|
Villere & Co.
|
Consilium Funds
|
Oaktree Funds
|
Visium Funds
|
Convergence Funds
|
Orinda Funds
|
Wall Street Fund, Inc.
|
Cove Street Capital Funds
|
O’Shaughnessy Funds
|
Wasmer Schroeder Funds
|
Dearborn Funds
|
Osterweis Funds
|
WBI Funds
|
Diamond Hill
|
Otter Creek Funds
|
Westchester Capital Funds
|
DoubleLine Funds
|
Pension Partners Funds
|
Wisconsin Capital Funds, Inc.
|
DSM Capital Funds
|
Permanent Portfolio Funds
|
YCG Funds
|
Quasar is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers. Quasar is located at 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
(b) |
The following is a list of the executive officers, directors and partners of Quasar. |
The business address for each of the executive officers and directors of Quasar, except Mr. Kern and Mr. Falkeis, is US Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. The business address for Mr. Kern and Mr. Falkeis is US Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Name and Principal
Business Address
|
|
Positions and Offices with
Principal Underwriter
|
|
Positions and Officers
With Fund
|
James Robert Schoenike
|
|
President and Board Member
|
|
None
|
Joe Redwine
|
|
Board Member
|
|
None
|
Robert Kern
|
|
Board Member
|
|
None
|
Eric Walter Falkeis
|
|
Board Member
|
|
None
|
Andrew M. Strnad
|
|
Secretary
|
|
None
|
Teresa Cowan
|
|
Assistant Secretary
|
|
None
|
Susan LaFond
|
|
Treasurer
|
|
None
|
Brett Scribner
|
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
|
None
|
Joseph Bree
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
None
|
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained in the following locations:
Records Relating to:
|
Are located at:
|
Registrant’s Transfer Agent
|
Boston Financial Data Services, Inc.
2000 Crown Colony Drive
Quincy, MA 02169
|
Registrant’s Investment Adviser and Principal Underwriter
|
Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC
2500 Westchester Avenue, Suite 215
Purchase, NY 10577
(records required by paragraphs (a)(4), (a)(5), (a)(6), (a)(10), (a)(11), and (f) of Rule 31a-1)
|
Registrant’s Administrator, Custodian and Fund Accountant
|
State Street Bank and Trust Company
One Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02111
|
Item 34. Management Services Not Discussed in Parts A and B.
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings.
The Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered with a copy of the Registrant’s latest Annual Report to shareholders, upon request and without charge.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant, has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Purchase and State of New York on the 28th day of October, 2015.
ALPINE EQUITY TRUST
By:
|
/s/ Samuel A. Lieber
|
|
|
Samuel A. Lieber, President
|
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on October 28, 2015.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
|
|
/s/ Samuel A. Lieber
|
|
President and Trustee
|
Samuel A. Lieber
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Ronald G. Palmer, Jr.
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
Ronald G. Palmer, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eleanor T.M. Hoagland*
|
|
Trustee
|
Eleanor T.M. Hoagland
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Guy Leibler*
|
|
Trustee
|
H. Guy Leibler
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jeffrey E. Wacksman*
|
|
Trustee
|
Jeffrey E. Wacksman
|
|
|
|
|
|
James A. Jacobson*
|
|
Trustee
|
James A. Jacobson
|
|
|
*By:
|
/s/ Samuel A. Lieber
|
|
|
|
Samuel A. Lieber
Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to
Power of Attorney1
|
|
|
1. |
Pursuant to Powers of Attorney for H. Guy Leibler, Jeffrey E. Wacksman and James A. Jacobson incorporated by reference to PEA No. 40 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on December 29, 2010. Pursuant to Power of Attorney for Eleanor T.M. Hoagland incorporated by reference to PEA No. 48 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC via EDGAR on February 28, 2013. |
ALPINE EQUITY TRUST
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibits for Item 28 of Form N-1A
Exhibit
|
Description
|
(a)(8)
|
Restated Certificate of Designation
|
(a)(9)
|
Amended and Restated Designation of Classes of Shares
|
(d)(3)
|
Form of Investment Advisory Agreement
|
(h)(3)(c)
|
Form of Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement
|
(i)(2)
|
Opinion and Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
|
(m)(2)
|
Amended Distribution Plan of Class A Shares
|